﻿30 VERETILLIDiE. 



47. Veretillum Australasiae. B.M. 



Polypes far apart. The club elongate, rather tapering at the end. 

 The stem short, about one-sixth the length of the club, longitudinally 

 wrinkled, subacute. 



Sarcobelemnon Australasise, Gray, Ann. 8f Mag. Nat, Hist, 1860, v. 



p. 24, t. 4. f. 1. 

 Veretillum Australasiee, Gray, Ann. (^ Mag. Nat, Hist, x. p. 73. 



Hah. Port Essington (J". B. Jukes, Esq.). 



The specimen in the Museum is rather flattened on one of its 

 sides ; but this appears to have arisen from its having been pressed 

 against the sides of the bottle when it was first placed in spirits. 

 The polypes are very unequally developed. On one side near the 

 base they appear to be absent, but when more closely examined they 

 are easUy seen to be completely retracted and closed over. 



This specimen chiefly differs from the V. Canforice in the sub- 

 stance of the coral being harder, and in the cells of the polypes 

 being further apart and more scattered, not appearing to be placed 

 in such regular and close longitudinal rows. The specimen seems 

 to have been placed in very strong spirits when first collected, as 

 almost all the polypes are retracted, and the base of the club is 

 wrinkled, as if strongly contracted, and the cavities in the axis are 

 smaller; but all this may have been produced by the sudden and 

 great contraction of the animal at the time it was preserved. — Ann. 

 Sf Mag. Nat. Hist. x. p. 74. 



48. Veretilliim Cantorise. B.M. 



Cells of polypes close together, in regular longitudinal series. 

 Veretillimi Cantoriae, Gray, Ann, 4" Mag. Nat, Hist. x. p. 74. 



Hah. Penang (Dr. Cantor). 



In the British Museum there is a large series of specimens of this 

 species from Penang, where, I am told, they are collected for food. 

 They difier exceedingly from each other ; and if they are all of one 

 species, as I suspect is the case, it shows how difiicult it is to give a 

 character that shall define the species of the genus. Some are short, 

 thick, oblong, rounded at each end, varying from 2| to 3 inches long. 

 In most of the specimens of this form, the polypes are retracted ; but 

 in one, some of them are expanded. In the second form the club 

 is much larger, vai-ying from 3 to 7 or 8 inches long, and is attenu- 

 ated upwards. The base of the club is short and thick, as in the 

 former set of specimens. The polypes are generally expanded; they 

 are much more slender and more elongate than the polypes of Litu- 

 aria australis. Pi'obably the length and tapering form of these speci- 

 mens may be dependent on their having been placed originally in 

 weaker spirits. The size of the cavities or tubes in the specimens 

 also differ ; they are largest in the short broad specimens, but very 

 distinct in all. 



