26 



SYNCORYNE GRAVATA, T. S. Wright (plate I., figs. 1 and 2). 



Coryne gravata, Wright, Obser. on Brit. Zooph. Ed. New Phil. 

 Jour, for April, 1858, pi. vii., fig. 5. 



Coryne mirab His, Agassiz, N.H.U.S., iv., 185, pi. xvii. (vol. iii.). 



Sarsia mirabilis (the sexual zooid), Agassiz, Mem. Amer. Acad, 

 of Arts and Sciences (1860), iv., part ii., 224. pi. 4, 5. 



Tubularia stellifera, Couth., Boston Journal, N.H.. ii., 56. 



Locality. — Growing on a bottle with Alcyonium digitatum 

 and Aclinoloba dianthus brought by the fishermen from 21 1 fathoms 

 east by south of Marsden on the Durham coast. 



Geographical Distribution. — North Berwick ; Filey Brigg, 

 Yorkshire ; " Syncoryne (? sp.) gravata, rocks under the Hoe, 

 Plymouth ; Mount Edgcumbe ; Drake's Island ; Garden Battery, 

 North America. 



The specimens procured did not live more than two weeks in 

 the tank, and no medusoids were produced ; they appeared to agree 

 most nearly with Hincks' description of S. gravata, with the excep- 

 tion that the number of tentacles was less than in that species ; 

 in this respect the specimens resembled S. decipiens, but there was 

 no trace of the prominent proboscis so characteristic of the latter. 

 A certain amount of variation in the number of tentacles is so 

 common in this genus that an exact statement as to the number 

 cannot be made. 



Stem, simple or very slightly branched, rooted by a creeping 

 stolon ; smooth, or with a few indistinct wrinkles at the base ; 

 colour, pale horn, with the pink colour of the ccenosarc showing 

 through. Polypite more or less clavate ; with a long slender base 

 (forming almost half its length) devoid of tentacles ; then slightly 

 enlarged and bearing 8-14 tentacles. Colour, pale pink. Ten- 

 tacles extensile, capitate, transparent white ; thread cells very 

 large and distinct. Gonophores, one to three in number, borne on 

 a small stalk just below the lowest tentacles. Height of hydroid, 

 6-12 mm. 



A number of much smaller Syncoryne of doubtful species were 

 dredged from stations 2. 3, 7 and 8, growing on other zoophytes ; 

 possibly young specimens of Syncoryne sarsii (plate I., fig. 3). 



