74 



The sea-pen Virgularia juncea was collected at low water, 

 and accords in its habits with another species, V. patagomca, 

 which is described by Darwin ^ as being seen projecting like 

 stubble, with the truncate end upwards, a few inches above 

 the surface of the muddy sand. When touched or pulled, 

 they suddenly drew themselves in with force, so as nearly 

 or quite to disappear. 



HEXACTINIA. 



ACTINIARIA. 



Various undetermined species of Sea- anemone are found, 

 either burrowing in the sandy shore between tide-marks, 

 attached to, or living within cavities excavated in coral blocks. 

 A single specimen of Palythoa tuherculosa, recorded by Esper 

 from Tranquebar on the East Coast of the Madras Presi- 

 dency, was brought up by the divers at Pdmban, encrusting 

 the upper surface of a dead coral. Various species of Zoan- 

 thus, single or colonial, live among the corals on the reefs. 

 At both Tuticorin and Pdmban I have several times seen 

 specimens of Sphenopus marsiipialis, which was collected 

 originally by Johns, a Moravian Missionary, at Tranquebar, 

 and was cast on shore at Madras in large numbers during 

 the cyclone of 1886. The outer surface of this species is 

 made up of sand grains glued together by a viscid secretion, 

 and imbedded in a cartilaginous case. Specimens figured in 

 the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, Feb. 14, 1867, 

 were collected at Pulo Faya in the China seas. 



Madreporaria. 



(Stony Corals.) 



Madrepora cervicornis, Lamk. 

 ,, cytharea, Dana. 



,, spicifera, Dana. 



Montipora digitata, Dana. 

 ,, foliosa, Pallas. 



,, irregularis, Quelch. 



,, tuberosa, Kliinz. 



Porites lutea, ( Q. and Gaim), M. Edw. and H. 



„ solida, ForskaL 

 Turbinaria cinerascens, Solander, sp. 

 ,, crater. 



,, patula, Dana. 



' Journal of Researches, 



