CONOHODERMA HUNTERI. 155 



Peduncle, narrow, shorter than the capitulum, which, 

 in the largest specimen was -^ths of an inch long. Lon- 

 gitudinal purple bands appear to have originally existed 

 on the peduncle. 



Filamentary Appendages, tropin and cirri all similar 

 to the same parts in C. virgata ; but perhaps the anterior 

 faces of the segments in the posterior cirri are rather less 

 protuberant ; perhaps also the first cirrus is rather shorter 

 in proportion to the sixth cirrus. 



Variety [monstrous). — Amongst the specimens, I found 

 one very young one, in which the scuta had not upper 

 lobes, so that in outline they exactly resembled the scuta 

 in the quite distinct C. aurita: there was not even a rudi- 

 ment of a carina: the tergum, on one side, was externally 

 bordered by a projecting, semi-circular, calcified disc ; and 

 the upper points of both terga showed only traces of the 

 rectangular projection, which is the chief characteristic of 

 C. Hunteri. From these traces alone, and from the 

 specimen being mingled with the others, do I here 

 include this variety. 



General Remarks. — I have very great doubts whether 

 I have acted rightly in considering this as a species; but 

 as there were many specimens, old and young, all differing 

 remarkably from the common species, this form anyhow 

 deserves description. The points by which it can be dis- 

 tinguished from C. virgata, are — the almost rectangular 

 manner in which the upper portion of the tergum is bent 

 outwards and along the orifice of the sack — the narrow- 

 ness of all the valves, and especially of the lateral lobes 

 of the scuta, — and lastly, the greater curvature of the 

 carina, which in some specimens runs up far between the 

 terga; had this last character been constant, it would 

 have been an important one, but such is far from being 

 the case. Great as are these differences in the valves, 

 and though common to many specimens, they are not 

 sufficient to convince me that it is a true species, and I 

 should not be at all surprised at varieties, intermediate 

 between it and the common form, being hereafter found; — 



