BY E. J. GODDARD. 489 



Fredericella australiensis, sp.n. 



This species occurs abundantly in connection with our 

 water-supply at Pott's Hill, and probably represents the only 

 definitely known species other than the common European and 

 North American species, F. sultana and F. cunningtoni from 

 Lake Tanganyika. Several other species have been proposed but 

 have been proved to be identical with F. sultana. 



Davenport has given the following amended diagnosis for the 

 genus : — " Stock branched in the form of antlers; more rarely 

 massed with recumbent and elevated tubes; mostly brown or 

 incrusted with algae and grains of sand; rarely hyaline. Tubes 

 cylindrical, the older ones mostly keeled. Without complete 

 dissepiments. Apertures terminal at the broadened or bifid ends 

 of tubes. Polypide very long and slender; tentacles arranged 

 in a nearly circular corona. Few tentacles, not exceeding 24, 

 Statoblasts dark brown, bean-shaped or elliptical, without float, 

 and with smooth upper surface." 



The above diagnosis has removed from the list of species, as 

 synonyms of F. sultana, the following forms : F. ivalcottii Hjatt 

 (1868); F, pulcherrima Hyatt(1868), and F. regina Leidy. 



The only other species known are F. du plessisi Forel(1900), 

 from Lake Geneva, the characters given for which form I cannot 

 ascertain, and F. cunningtoni. As has been previously hinted 

 in this account, the Australian species of Fredericella has been 

 commonly regarded as being identical with F. sultana] and, as 

 such, has been noted in Davenport's account in connection with 

 the distribution of that North American and European species, 

 the nature of the statoblast, when this character alone is con- 

 sidered, being such as to well and easily permit of the Australian 

 form falling within the limits of the characters given for the 

 genus Fredericella by Davenport, or, in other words, for the 

 then only recogaized species, F. sulta^ia. It is certainly known 

 that variation does take place in regard to the nature of the 

 statoblasts, and this has been understood sufficiently well to 

 enable the description of them to be " bean-shaped or elliptical " 

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