540 Tranmctions. 



Art. XLVIII. — On Some Cahjptoblast llijdroids from the Kermadec Islands. 

 By F. W. HiLGENDORF, M.A., D.Sc. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of (Janterhury, 1st June, 1910.] 



In 1908 a small party of naturalists sailed to the Kermadec Islands by the 

 New Zealand Government steamer, and stayed on the islands for about 

 ten months — that is, until the next voyage of the steamer to the islands. 

 During their stay Mr. W. R. B. Oliver, of Christchurch, collected some 

 hydroids, and it is through his kindness that I am able to describe those 

 mentioned below. 



There is, as far as I can find, no. previous record of any hydroids from 

 this group of islands. From their geographical position it would be supj^osed 

 that the affinities of the fauna of the group would be mainly with New 

 Zealand, since it lies only "about eight hundred miles north-east of Auck- 

 land, and this supposition is supported by the few hydroids found. The 

 hydroids of New Zealand itself have not been at all completely examined. 

 The species described prior to 1895 are catalogued by Farquhar in the 

 " Transactions of the New Zealand Institute," vol. 28, p. 459, and to that 

 catalogue I shall refer for all paj)ers and synonyms up to that date. 



Since Farquhar's list appeared I can find only the three following papers 

 on hydroids from the New Zealand region : viz., Hilgendorf (Trans. N.Z. 

 Inst., vol. 30, p. 200), Hartlaub (Zool. Jahrbuchern, 1901, p. 349), Benham 

 (Subantarctic Islands of N.Z., p. 306). 



Besides the hydroids, the collection as handed to me contained a part 

 of a skeleton of an antij)atharian, part of a madreporian coral, several floats 

 of a species of a Physalia, one or two Polyzoa, and some eggs of molluscs. 

 Most of these, however, were not in a fit state for determination or descrip- 

 tion. They remain in my hands. 



Campanularia caliculata vnv. makrogona (V. Lendenfeld). 



(For references and synonyms, see Farquahar, Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vol. 28, p. 459). 

 Hah. — Dunedin Harbour and Wellington Harbour, in New Zealand ; 

 Australia ; Kermadec Islands (on seaweed, Denham Bay, Sunday Island). 



In reference to Campanularia, Hartlaub {loc. cit.) correctly points out 

 that in my paper in Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 30, I was wrong in transferring 

 Campanularia and Eucopella to Hypanthea, since this last genus dift'ers from 

 the others in its reproduction. 



Halecium tenellum (Hincks). 



//. tenellum Hincks, Ann. Nat. Hist., 3rd ser., vol. 8, p. 252 ; Brit. 

 Hvd. Zooph., p. 226. //. lahrosum Alder, Ann. Nat. Hist., 3rd ser., 

 vol. 3, p. 354. 



Hah. — England ; Australia ; Kermadec Islands (on Polyzoa, in Denham 

 Bay, Sunday Island). 



