ON ALCYONIUM PULMONIS INSTAR LOBATUM ELLIS. 269 



that S a V ig n y 's genera were to a large extent again united by later authors. 

 Thus our species appears sometimes as Folyclinum ficus, sometimes as 

 Siinoiaun ficns, sometimes as Pulmoncllum Jlcus, in isolated instances 

 indeed still as Alcyonium ficus. It would take us too far to discuss this 

 literature in detail. I must content myself with pointing out here 

 only the most important facts in the history of the species. It will be 

 best first of all to follow, up to recent times, the specific name ficus, 

 which predominated in the older literature till about the year 1850. 



The older works belonging to the first half of the last century, in 

 which the species is referred to, are without exception in the nature 

 of compilations, and bring nothing new to our knowledge of the 

 species. To this category belong the references by Cuvier (1817), 

 Goldfuss (1820), Fleming (1820, 22), Schinz (1822), Fleming 

 (1824), Lamouroux (1824), Blainville (1824, 25, 27), Fleming 

 (1828), Stark (1828), Eang (1829), Blainville (1829, 30), Cuvier 

 (1830),Voigt(18;34),Blainville (1834), Oken (1835), Cuvier (1836), 

 Blainville (1837), Fleming (1837), Dujardin (1837, 40), Gervais 

 (1840), Comte (1840) (under the name Distoma variolatus this author 

 gives a copy of Ellis' figure), Reichenbach (1842), Deshayes (1842), 

 Poeppig (1848), Forbes and Hanley (1848) also do not know 

 the species from their own observation, but quote from Ellis. From 

 the second half of last century the following references, belonging to 

 the same category should be mentioned : Wright (1855), Gosse 

 (1856), H. and A. Adams (1858), M'Andrew (1861), Granger (1886), 

 Herdman (1891), Lameere (1895), Maitland (1897), and finally also 

 Hartmeyer (1909). 



The following works contain some remarks on the species, in some 

 cases only records of new localities : — 



Alder and Hancock (1848) mention an Aplidium fitcus from 

 Cullercoats, but leave the identification uncertain. The record of 

 locality had better therefore for the present remain doubtful, although 

 it is not unlikely that the species occurs there. 



Cocks (1850) records in his list of the Ascidians of Falmouth 

 an Aplidium ficus. The identification cannot be tested. That the 

 species occurs on the south coast of England I consider doubtful, until 

 the contrary is proved. At any rate I have not found it amongst the 

 extensive collection fi-om Plymouth which I have examined. This 

 locality therefore may for the present remain doubtful. 



Gervais and P. J. Beneden (1859) give the North Sea as a 

 locality. P. J. Beneden (1860) records the occurrence of Aplidium 

 ficus in deep water on the Belgian coast in company with a second 

 species which he calls Aplidium ficoides. Details of the anatomy 



