20 Dr. J. E. Gray on the Family Pennatulidae. 



motile filaments, our first glimpse is generally a passing one, 

 caught during the instantaneous production of a shadow. Or, 

 although our objectives may already be considered almost per- 

 fect, that perfection is capable of increase, and we may therefore 

 hope, by a single step in advance, to render the unseen of today 

 the thing seen of tomorrow. 



II. Revision of the Family Pennatulidse, with Descriptions 

 of some new Species in the British Museum. By Dr. JOHN 

 EDWARD GRAY, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., P.E.S. &c. 



[With two Plates.] 



DR. HERKLOTS, the curator of the Royal Museum at Leyden, 

 has lately published in the last Part of the f Bijdragen tot de 

 Dierkunde/ part vii. 1858, a monograph of this family, de- 

 scribing and figuring several new species. I shall use his work 

 as the basis of this communication, as far as regards the species 

 he describes, which I shall attempt to divide into groups for 

 more easy determination. 



Tribe I. FUNICULINE^E, or Junciformes, are elongated Sea- 

 pens with very small pinnules. 



A. The Cells armed with spinules. 

 ]. FUNICULINA, Lamk. 



* Axis quadrangular. 



1. F. quadrangularis, Johnston, Brit. Zooph. t. 31. Scotland. 



** Axis cylindrical. 



2. F. Christii, Sars, Fn. Litt. Norv. ii. t. 12. f. 7-12. Coast of 

 Norway. 



3. F. Finmarchica, Sars, Fn. Litt. Norv. ii. t. 11. Coast of 

 Finmark. 



B. Cells fleshy, not spinulose. 



2. VIRGULARIA, Lamk. Axis stony, tapering at each end. 

 Cells not produced. 



-~ * Pinnules well developed, digitate, diverging from the r acids. 



1. V. Vanbenedensis, Herklots, Not. 11. t. 7. f. 7. Hab. . 



2. V. Ellisii. Elongate. Hachis cylindrical. Base elongate, 

 nearly one-third the entire length ; lower part much dilated, 

 club-shaped. The lower pinnules adpressed, far apart, nearly 

 transverse as regards the rachis; the upper ones lunate, far 



