^o [Verrill. 



wliich has usually been neglected, consists In the peculiar combination 

 of the structural elements or spheromeres. In the Alcyonarla there 

 are eight of these spherical wedges Avhich are united immediately to 

 one another by their walls, so that there are no Interambulacral cham- 

 bers, and the radiating lamellaj seem to consist of a simple membrane, 

 though structurally double. In the Zoantharia, on the contrary, there 

 are interambulacral spaces between adjacent spheromeres, and within 

 these spaces new spheromeres are introduced in those species havino- 

 more than six. Solid radiating septa within the spheromeres seem never 

 to be formed by halcyonold polyps, though common among the Zoan- 

 tharia ; yet at first sight the present species seems to be an exception, 

 for within the cells clusters of spine-hke splculas seem to converge 

 towards the centre, resembhng somewhat the trablcula3 in the cells 

 of some Poritidce, but after close examination there appear to be eight 

 clusters of these spines, which correspond to the clusters of spicula 

 which are often present in the outer base of the tentacles of Goro-on- 

 id£e and other halcyonoids. When the tentacles in these cases are 

 withdrawn into the cells, the spiculge protecting their bases must be 

 situated at the top of the cells and converge towards the centre ; 

 if these remain in place after the tentacles have decayed, they will 

 produce the effect noticed in this instance. 



In Lissogorgia flabellum the axis, as before remarked, is smooth and 

 pohshed, with. scarcely a trace of strlatlons except at the base, so that 

 the smooth character of the axis of a polyp is no longer an evidence 

 of its belonging among the Ajitipathidcc, neither is the absence of 

 striae conclusive evidence that it is not to be placed among the Gor- 

 gonidoe. The external crust (ccenenchyma) in this genus is thin, very 

 friable and spiculose ; the color in these specimens is white, the axis 

 black, opaque-yellow, and brittle at the tips. The cells are very small, 

 oval, slightly raised, very near together and scattered nearly uniformly 

 on all sides of the branchlets. The corallum is fan-shaped, undivided 

 for about an inch at the base, above openly reticulated, the branchlets 

 mostly coalescent except at the outer edges. The reticulations are 

 from half an inch to two inches long and about a quarter of an inch 

 wide. 



Mr. T. T. Bouve exhibited specimens illustrating three forms 

 of fossil Ecbinoderms from the collection j^resented by Mr. 

 Barnard. 



Dr. J. C. White stated that the Subscription Committee 

 had succeeded in raising only one-half of the required sum. 



Mr. Thomas Gaffield made an earnest appeal to all the mem- 

 bers to assist the Committee in their efforts. 



