CORYNE VEKMICULAllIS. 'io 



dichotomously , of a very light straw-colour and delicate 

 texture, wavy, annulated, especially towards the base, 

 the branches and upper portions of the stem often 

 smooth or slightly wrinkled ; POLYPITES of great length 

 (about ^ inch when mature), stout, almost cylindrical 

 for half their length when extended, then tapering off 

 very gradually towards the oral extremity ; tentacles in 

 irregular and very distant ivhorls, rather stout, with 

 large capitula, about 25 in number. 



GONOPHORES borne at the base of the tentacles over the 

 lower half of the body, spherical, shortly stalked. 



Height of the tufts about | inch. 



THE size of the polypites is the point that first attracts 

 attention in this species. The length is remarkable, being 

 about a third greater than in any other British Coryne. 

 The body is thick, and cylindrical below, and tapers off 

 very gradually towards the apex. Altogether the polypites 

 have a very worm-like appearance. The tentacles are 

 sparingly distributed over the surface, a considerable space 

 intervening between the imperfect whorls over the whole 

 of the upper portion of the body. They are more nume- 

 rous and closely set near the base. 



The polypary is exceedingly delicate, being colourless 

 and perfectly transparent on the branches, where the 

 ringing is often very faint or obsolete. The cocnosarc is 

 of great thickness, almost filling up the tubular cavity of 

 the stem. The branches are short and wavy. The rami- 

 fication commences near the base of the primary stem, 

 and consists of a succession of dichotomous divisions and 

 subdivisions, resulting in the formation of little slirub-like 

 tufts. Many filamentous branchlets, not bearing polypites 

 and slightly clavate at the extremity, are distributed over 

 the zoophyte (Plate VIII. fig. 2, x x}. The reproduc- 

 tive buds seem to be confined to about the lower third of 

 the body. 



