ON ALCYONIUM PULMONIS INSTAR LOBATUM ELLIS. 263 



the kindness of Dr. Allen. I received three colonies sent by him, 

 which had been collected by fishermen at West Mersea, Essex, that 

 is to say in a locality which from a faunistic standpoint can hardly be 

 different from the neighbourhood of Whit stable . Especially valuable 

 to me was however the accompanying information that the name 

 " Sea-Fig " has been retained there down to the present day. We have 

 therefore every right to suppose that these specimens from West 

 Mersea are the same species as the ^' Alcyonium indmonis instar lobatum" 

 of Ellis. 



An examination of these three colonies has yielded a result which I 

 had previously anticipated: Ellis' species is no other than the well- 

 established i/acroc/'im«?i.j?o»2H^n (Sars), which is frequently mentioned 

 in the most recent literature and is everywhere common in the North 



Fig. 1. — Jlacrocliiium puIvio7iaria {E\\. Sol.). Colony from West Mersea. Natural size. 



Sea. This supposition must have already forced itself upon the mind 

 of anyone acquainted with the species, when reading Ellis' description, 

 a model of its kind, and comparing it with his figures. After the 

 direct proof of the occurrence of Macrodinum 2Jomum. on the Essex 

 coast no further doubt of the identity of the two forms would seem to 

 be possible. 



Of the three colonies before me from West Mersea, the largest has 

 a typical fig-like shape. The anterior end is broadened, the posterior 

 end is tapered and runs out into a quite short, stem-like process, 

 which serves for its attachment. The colony is strongly compressed 

 laterally. Its length is 7'9 cm., its greatest breadth 5*1 cm., whilst its 

 thickness never exceeds 1"1 cm. The colour is greenish grey. The 

 systems are not very clearly recognisable, but are undoubtedly present. 

 The whole habitus of the colony with the separate individuals shining 

 through like yellow seeds, is very aptly characterised by the descrip- 



