382 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



representing the growth of C. darwinii in the warmer waters north of the sub-Antarctic 

 region. The presence of the minima type of C. darwinii at Auckland Island in sub- 

 Antarctic water south of the New Zealand localities of C. glabra also supports this idea. 

 The matter is, however, not as simple as this, for small colonies from St. 934, north of 

 New Zealand, appear to represent the minima type of C. darwinii, some, at least, of the 

 zooecia having a process at the base of the scutum, and three outer spines being found. 

 These colonies have very long, stout, peduncular spines. 



The question is further complicated by the existence of specimens from New Zealand 

 and Japan, agreeing in their main characters with C. glabra, but diverging in various 

 ways from the typical specimens. The New Zealand material from St. 934 and St. TN 

 144 is chiefly remarkable for the stoutness of the peduncles of the scuta, but one speci- 

 men from each station has giant frontal avicularia, and scuta with a broader, straight- 

 edged distal lobe. The older zooecia of these young colonies have three outer distal 

 spines. Another specimen from New Zealand (Busk Coll. 99.7.1. 5014) has giant 

 frontal avicularia which are rather broader and blunter than those of the other specimens. 

 Although connected distally, the scuta have a much smaller blade than those of typical 

 C. glabra, with a small blunt proximal lobe and a pointed distal lobe. Specimens from 

 the south coast of Japan (78.1. 10. 14) resemble Hincks's New Zealand specimen in 

 their giant frontal avicularia, but in other respects agree with typical C. glabra. 



We have also the form described by MacGillivray (1887a, p. 142, pi. cxxxvii, fig. 4) 

 as C. glabra var. dolabrata in which giant frontal avicularia are not found, the scuta 

 resemble those of Hincks's New Zealand specimen in outline, but are not connected 

 distally, and the peduncular spines are exceptionally long and stout. This form is 

 represented in the British Museum by an unmounted colony from Port Phillip 

 (87.12.10.34), and six slides, coming from Port Phillip (99.7.1.882), Warrnambool 

 (99.5.1.382, 383, " Warnamboul" on labels), Flinders Island (86.25.29.30, 31) and 

 Puebla Bay (88. 11 . 14.379), a ^ m tne Victorian region. 



Only the examination of more material could determine the relationship of this group 

 of Australasian and Japanese forms (including C. glabra) to C. darwinii and to each 

 other. 



Young colonies of C. transversa Harmer (including those from the Barrier Reef, 

 Hastings, 1932, p. 411) are hardly to be distinguished from typical C. glabra, although 

 adult colonies are much more robust and differ clearly from adult colonies of C. glabra 

 in the shape of scuta and ovicells, and in the larger, more closely placed, vibracula. 

 Bassler's material of C. transversa from the Philippines (31.12.30.69) agrees closely 

 with the type in these respects. 



Discussion of distribution. It will be noticed that, although C. darwinii has several 

 times been recorded from Japanese localities, I have omitted Japan from the distribution. 

 These records are without supporting evidence. Even the diagnosis accompanying 

 Okada's record of a "small specimen" (1934, p. 8) is not a description of the actual 

 specimen but a quotation, almost verbatim, of Busk's definition. The species is typically 

 Antarctic and sub-Antarctic, and has not been recorded from the Malay Archipelago, 

 the China Sea, Northern Australia, or Queensland, so that its occurrence in Japan 



