[From the Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, March IGth, 1871.] 



Remarks Suggested by Dr. J. E. Gray's Paper on the " Stick 

 Fish," in " Nature," Nov. 6th, 1873. 



BY ROBERT E. 0. STEARNS. 



At a meeting of this Academy on the 3d of February, 1873, certain switch- 

 like rods, being the axes of some polyp-form, as well as the general characters 

 of Alcyonoid Polyjis, were considered and discussed, for the purpose of tracing 

 by analogy and determining the relations and position of the specimens under 

 consideration at that time ; and it may be remembered that a paper was read, 

 in which was given at considerable length a resume of what had appeared in 

 the columns of Nature, in the way of notes and comments by several learned 

 gentlemen. 



These rods, switches, or wands, as the specimens had been variously called, 

 were first brought to the notice of the Academy on the 5th of June, 1871, 

 when specimens were presented to the Museum, and, so far as an opinion was 

 expressed at that time in a general way, the specimens were placed near the 

 group to which it has been subsequently proved that they belong. 



On the 4th of August, 1873, Dr. James Blake submitted an entire specimen 

 of the polyps, of which the rods, etc., are the central stalks or axes : that is, one 

 of these rods or switches was presented by him, with the investing soft or fleshy 

 covering, which proved it to be either a Pavonaria, or closely related to that 

 genus. Accordingly, T published a description placing it in the genus Pavo- 

 naria, and gave it the specific name of '' Blakei," {Pavonaria Blakei) and the 

 same was printed in the Mining and Scientific Press of this city, August 9th, 

 1873. 



Before the succeeding regular meeting of the Academy, which took place 

 August 18th, 1873, through access to more recent literature bearing on the 

 subject, I perceived at once that not only was the species new, but that its sep- 

 aration generically was warranted, and the sub-genus VerrilUa w-as made by me 

 to receive it ; and a description of the genus and species was read at that meet- 

 ing, and printed copies of my paper (dated August 20th) were sent to various 

 authors, societies, and scientific journals, in advance of the regular publication 

 of the Academy's Proceedings. 



