On Corals from the Antarctic Ocean. 2b^ 



" I nai][ip this Hornera lateralis. The genus Hornera 

 was established by Lamouroux for a division of Betepora^ of 

 which U.frondiculata is the type; but it was not well de- 

 fined by him. The generic character, as given by Milne-Ed- 

 wards, is, ' Polyparium branched, composed of tubular cells 

 united together throughout nearly their whole length, with 

 terminal circular openings. The cells all opening on one 

 surface.' 



" The cells of the present species are not so decidedly 

 elongated as those of U.frondiculata^ and it may be said to 

 occupy an intermediate place between Hornera and Betepora ; 

 but this is one of the ordinary difficulties in arranging spe- 

 cies in genera. An instance of such difficulty is seen in the 

 species B. versipalma, which Lamouroux says (Expos. Me- 

 thod, p. 41), * Est tres voisin des Horneres,' which De Blain- 

 ville places in the genus Hornera, and of which Milne-Ed- 

 wards says {Anim. sans Vertebres, second edition, vol. ii., 

 p. 279), * Nous sommes porte h, croire que ce Polype ne doit 

 pas etre range dans le genre Hornere, ainsi que le veut M. 

 de Blainville ; il nous parait se rapprocher davautage des 

 vrais Retepores.' 



" The present species differs from all that are described 

 in the opening of the cell, which, as is shewn in fig. 3,"^ is 

 placed laterally immediately below the pointed summit of 

 the cell. It is only at the unbroken ends of the branches 

 that this can be seen, as the ends of the cells seem soon to 

 wear away, and on the general surface of the branches only 

 circular openings are left, which are hardly at all prominent. 



" In examining into the relations of this species, we have 

 another proof of the necessity of good figures to determine 

 species. The description given of B. verslpalma is as fol- 

 lows : — * R. nana, ramosissima ; ramis ramulosa palmatis ; 

 palmis brevibus varie versis ; interna superficie poris promi- 

 nalis scabra ; externa sublsevigata.' 



" This description might do for the present species, if taken 



* Plates of the beautiful drawings will be found in the " Zoology of the 

 Voyage," now being published under the superintendence of Dr Kichardsoi^i 

 and J. E. Gray, Esq. 



