PENNATULIDA. 31 



but they are furnished with a clearly marked, although short calyx with distinct edge which may 

 even by longitudinal folds seem to be provided with 8 slight teeth ; under each polyp one lateral 

 zooid is found (seen by K. indeed, but he has not ventured to state it as a certainty); by clearing in 

 a suitable mixture of oil of cloves and alcohol it is seen quite distinctly, as also the long line of stalk- 

 zooids characteristic of Yirgularke ; here, these zooids reach almost to the lower end of the colony; 

 the peduncle proper is damaged. Thus, there is full conformity between this species and my youngest 

 specimens of V. miradilis; Protocaulon molle can only be a young stage of a Virgularia-sjiecies, and 

 probablv of Virg, gracillima K611. 1 ). 



The other genus that must be rejected is Marshall and Fowler's Deutocaulon founded on 

 the species D. hystricis (Rep. Perm. Porcupine , p. 461, PI. XXXII, figs. 8, 9). I have not had the 

 opportunity of examining the type specimens, but the descriptions and the figures make it quite 

 certain that the five specimens (30— 48™'" long, badly preserved) are a Virgularia in stages corres- 

 ponding to my young stages on PI. II, figs. 26 and 27, and the ones slightly more advanced. Marshall 

 and Fowler have seen themselves and very correctly that the family Protocaulidcc of Kolliker, to which 

 they refer their Deutocaulon^ must be placed nearer to the Virgularia^ than in the system of Kolliker, 

 where it is far from these latter; they even hint as a possibility that Deutocaulon might prove to be 

 identical with Virgularia gracillima of Kolliker (from New Zealand), but they think that in this case 

 a new genus would have to be established for it. This is now superfluous; Deutocaulon is either 

 simply ]'. iiiirabilis or possibly V. cladiscus mihi. The locality and depth (south west of Ireland and 

 west of the Hebrides, 109 and no fathoms) might very well speak in favour of the former, but do 

 not, however, exclude the latter, which was taken at one of the places together with Deutocaulon , 

 and is referred to by M. & F. as a Svava glacialis Kor. & Dan . 



Among the great number of specimens of Virg. iiiirabilis I have examined, some show certain 

 differences from the normal which I think worthy of mention. 



In a complete specimen from the Kattegat, 530 mm long, with wings with 12 polyps, small 

 wings with few (3 — 4) polyps are found, inserted here and there among the normal wings; in a few 

 places, a long solitary polyp is found between two normal wings, and under this a group of three 

 lateral zooids; in two places the uppermost, most dorsal zooid of a common group of lateral zooids 

 is transformed into a complete polyp (similar features, however, are known from Pennatula phosphorea\ 

 comp. p. 15 under var. Candida). Further, this specimen is provided with two calcareous axes, of which 

 however, only one projects from the top with a naked end. In the middle of the rhachis both axes 

 are very thick; the one retains a considerable thickness, until it suddenly ends, but little rounded, in 

 the upper part of the peduncle, whilst the other, as is the normal case tapers downward and ends in 

 a bent hook, about 2 cm below the termination of the stalk-zooids. From the Great Belt and from 

 Samso Belt, we have further two other small specimens each with two calcareous axes. One is 50 ra:n 

 long, with wings with five polyps; both the calcareous axes project with naked ends over the top; 

 here also, only one of these forms the bent hook in the peduncle. The other specimen is a young 



M This species has been found again at New Zealand, where it is apparently of frequent occurrence. Deudy: 

 Trans, and Proc. X. Zeal. Inst. 1S96, vol. 29 (N. S. vol. 121 p. 256. When Verrill (Am. J. Sc. 23, p. 312. notei thinks that Proto- 

 caulon may prove to be the young of Anlhoptilum , this supposition is no better founded than the one that Protoptiluiu 

 K611. is the young stage of Virgularia^.). 



