iVew or Liltl(.'-knoiVH Poli/zoa. ^61 



obliqua and a I'ussil species" (I'loc. Ivoy. Soc, Vict., Vol. XXIII. 

 (new series), p. 42), are aliaost always symmetrical in furni; in the 

 adult stage kidney shaped; in the younger forms they are either 

 fan-shaped, with (.l)tusely crenate edges, or are palmate. 



i have lately received from Dr. Verco, of Adelaide, some speci- 

 mens which he dredged in King (Jeoi-ge's Sound, West Australia, 

 which are extremely asymmetrical and sometimes very much lobed, 

 almost digitate in some cases. 1 have drawn several of the zoaria, 

 half natural size, and it will be seen that there is great dissimilarity 

 in the forms. I can detect no difference whatever in the zooecia from 

 tln»se in South Australian form, but as the zoarial character is so 

 different, the specimens from West Australia must be considered 

 a distinct variety, for which 1 piopose the name " Farmuho'ia 

 ohilqiia var. lohata. 



In the South Australian form the zoaria do not bear ooecia until 

 they arrive at the adult stage, and they they are always on, or near 

 the outer margin of the zoarium, but in West Australian form one 

 specimen (marked "A ") bears a few ooecia in a curved transverse 

 row in the centra' i)ortion of the zoarium. 



Variable forms of Celiepora fossa (Harwell sp.). 



1 think the variations in the form of the zoaria of this species 

 worthy of notice, as from a casual examination of the specimens no 

 one would think they Iselonged t<> tlie same species. 



The form from Avhich Prol. llaswell originally described the 

 species, under the generic name of Spliaerojmra, is " subspherical, 

 slightly depressed. ' ' 



Among the polyzoa, drc'dged by Dr. Verco in South Austialian 

 waters, sent to the late J. Dennant, and which I examined some 

 years ago, there were two different forms. One w^as circular, thick, 

 slightly raised in the centre, with rounded edges (bun-shaped), and 

 on the under surface (chiefly in an annular area near the edge of 

 the zoarium), there were numerous small conical pits, which 

 descend to a consideralile distance into the zoarium. These pits 

 are formed by a small parasitic "actinid." The upper surface 

 of the larger specimens was mammillated, but in the smaller ones 

 was not. The zooecia on the edges of the zoarium have the umbon- 

 ate process, which bears a semi-iiicular aviculaiium, produced 

 into a blunt conical pioeess. Tiiis form grows to a very large size, 

 some l:)eing over an iiuii in diameter. 



The other foini was oval, oi- latlier ellipsoidal, smooth, with a 

 deep conical pit at one end. 



23 



