306 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Note on Dendrostoma. 

 D. huttoni, n. sp. 



In my previous article (Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxxvi., p. 180) I 

 spent some time in trying to demonstrate the probability that 

 Sipunculus lutulentus, Hutton, is a synonym of S. ceneus, Baird, 

 and proceeded to state that I believed the species of Dendrostoma 

 that I was describing was identical with the latter. I am now 

 of opinion that I was altogether too precipitate in my con- 

 clusions. Some of the reasons that led me, at that time, to 

 formulate these conclusions were : (1.) Two genera of Sipunculids, 

 and only two, had been collected in recent times on our shores, 

 and these at various spots from Auckland Harbour to Stewart 

 Island. (2.) Both these had been described, so far as external 

 features are concerned, and had been named, by Captain Hutton. 

 (3.) In this Museum were certain tubes containing examples of 

 two forms, with Hutton's labels upon them : one of them is 

 undoubtedly the type of Physcosoma annulatum ; the other I had 

 reasons to think might be the type of his Sipunculus lutulentus. 

 (4.) The latter, however, I found to belong to the genus Den- 

 drostoma. 



The proper proceeding would have been to have named this 

 species Dendrostoma lutulenta, Hutton ; but I went further, and, 

 concluding that Hutton's species was identical with Baird's, 

 gave it the name of D. ceneum. 



Now, there are two very important lacunae in the evidence 

 for this procedure : Firstly, we have no knowledge whatever, 

 from the brief account of the external anatomy given by Baird, 

 of the generic status of " S. (sneus." Secondly, we are by no 

 means certain that the specimen alluded to as coming from Cape 

 Campbell is Hutton's type of " S. lutulentus " ; for, although 

 Captain Hutton wrote me that, so far as he remembered, he had 

 only one specimen of this species and that came from Cape 

 Campbell, yet the individual is less than half the size of S. lutu- 

 lentus as described by him. That ought to have put me on my 

 guard against identifying the Dendrostoma with Hutton's species. 



Now, in his original account of P. annulatum Hutton states 

 that he had obtained specimens from Dunedin and Cape Camp- 

 bell : the former is in the Museum, as I stated in my article, 

 fully labelled by Hutton ; but I cannot find any specimen of 

 this species with the latter locality attached. It has occurred 

 to me that possibly this specimen referred to as " 6 " in my 

 article was mistaken by Hutton for an individual of P. annu- 

 latum : it is true it differs in various ways from that species, even 

 externally, but in size and general form it is more like it than 

 like his description of S. lutulentus. At any rate, I ought to have 



