811 



cornered with a deep groove on two of the surfaces while the other two faces 

 are convex. The polyps are large and mostly colourless (in some specimens 

 bluish). They are distributed irregularly over the whole rachis, separated by dis- 

 tances of about -1 mm. They are entirely retractile and when withdrawn they 

 leave large cup-shaped verrucfc the openings of which are directed upward.s. 

 There are abundant spicules arranged in eight bands on the verruciX" ; this 

 feature is most marked in those with bluish polyps. No definite arrangement 

 ofthe spicules in the bands is to be seen. The tentacles are broad and s{)atula- 

 shaped, and bear a single row of short thick pinnules ; they contain no spicules. 



The siphonozooids are brown or blue, and occur irregularly among the 

 polyps ; they are easily seen with the naked eye and vary in number in the 

 different specimens. They are continued in a somewhat spiral manner in the 

 lower part of the rachis beyond the polyp region ; sometimes they are elevated 

 and papilla-like and are supported by a circlet of spicules. The eight radiating 

 muscle banners are well developed. 



The spicules include elongated capstans, sometimes irregular at the tips, or 

 like irregular cervical vertebra ; and crosses are also abundant. A frequently 

 occurring measurement of length and breadth in mm. is 0-2 x Ol. 



The coenenchyma is rather hard and tough and is abundantly supplied with 

 spicules. Numerous ova occur in the larger colonies. 



Localities : Station 182, off Indus Delta, 35 fathoms ; Station 344, Persian 

 Gulf, 31 fathoms ; off Orissa Coast, 68 fathoms. 



Emended Diagnosis of Lituaria. 



The diagnosis may read : — 



The colony is of the Veretillid type with a club-like polypai-um surrounded 

 by relatively distant autozooids with numerous wart-like siphonozooids in the 

 interspaces ; the axis, which extends throughout the entire length of the colony, 

 is in the rachis-region roughly quadrangular and grooved, and tapers to the tip, 

 or it is irregularly pitted with recesses in which the polyps are embedded and 

 has this structure continued to the tip ; the spicules, which are abundant on 

 the general surface of the polyparum and in the verrucpe (but absent from the 

 autozooids themselves), may be : — 



{a) " Kurz, bisquit- oder linsenformig " (Kolliker's L. phalloides) ; 



(p) rough plates, smooth rods and minute crosses (" Investigator " speci- 

 mens of L. ph(iUoides) ; or 



ic) elongated capstans sometimes with irregular ends, or like elongated 

 cervical vertebrie, with crosses in addition. 



