134 Transactions. 



Dimensions (of largest specimen, contracted). — Height, 17 mm. ; dia- 

 meter of column, 4 mm. ; diameter of disc, 6 mm. 



Body-wall. — The wall is thin, the mesogloea occupying the greater part, 

 and sending strands across the ectoderm. The ectoderm is almost ob- 

 literated by the great mass of sandy encrustation. The usual cell-islets 

 and lacunae are present in the mesogloea, but I fourd no sign of an encircling 

 sinus. 



Mesenteries. — The imperfect mesenteries are very short. I was unable 

 from my sections to ascertain the exact number of mesenteries, owing to 

 reasons already stated. 



Tentacles.- — The tentacles were all infolded, and their number and 

 arrangement could not be ascertained. 



Sphincter Muscle. — Traces of a mesogloeal sphincter were found. 



Metridium canum n. sp. 



The collector's description is : " Greyish. Abundant on the under-side 

 of stones near low-water mark, Coral Bay, Sunday Island. This species 

 . . . tolerates a muddy or sandy bottom." 



Pedal Disc. — Adherent, rather wider than the column. 



Column. — Cylindrical. Longitudinally wrinkled in contraction. Cin- 

 clides are present on the upper part of the column. 



Tentacles. — About 200 in number, crowded and arranged in four, or 

 perhaps five, cycles. In some of the preserved specimens the tentacles have 

 black tips. 



Body -wall. — The usual hexactinian features are observable. The 

 mesogloea is comparatively thick, though variable in different portions of 

 transverse sections. It appears fibrillar in structure, and contains numerous 

 collections of cells. 



Sphincter. — A weak mesogloeal sphincter is present. 



Mesenteries. — There are four cycles, 45 pairs in all. Of these, only 

 the primaries, 6 pairs in number, are perfect. 



Dimensions (of largest specimen, contracted).— Height, 9 mm. ; diameter 

 of column, 10 mm. ; diameter of disc. 15 mm. 



Abt. XXIV. — Notes on a Collection of Cephalopods front, the Kernuid.ec, 



Islands. 



By S. S. Berry. Redlands, California.* 



Communicated by W. R. B. Oliver. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 3rd December, 1913.] 



Plates VII-X. 



Through the kindness of Messrs. Tom Iredaleand W. R. B. Oliver, there has 

 been sent me a small series of Cephalopods from the Kermadec Islands, the 

 attempt to identify which has led to the preparation of this report, the 

 material proving to be unusually interesting. The specimens were collected 

 on Sunday Island by Messrs. Iredale, Oliver, ana R. S. Bell in 1908 and 



* To avoid delay it has been necessary to print this paper without having the 

 proofs corrected by ihe author. — Ed. 



