﻿36 EENILLID^. 



59. Renilla violacea. 



Frond with a notch in front. 



Renilla violacea, Qiioy Sf Gaim. Vm/. TJran. p. 042, t. 82. f. 5, G: 

 Ehrenb. Corall. R. M.; Blainv. Man. (VAct.^. 518, t. 91. f. 2 (cop. 

 Quoy) ; Dana, Zooph. p. 589; Herklots, Nut. p. 28; Gray, Ann. ^• 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. 1860, v. p. 24. 



Hah. Coast of Brazil ; Rio Janeiro. 



60. Renilla amethystina. 



Renilla amethystina, Verrill, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. April 18, 

 1866, p. 29. 



Hah. On mud flats, edge of sand beach, east of the R.R. wharf, 

 Panama {F. H. Bradley). 



This large and fine species was found so abundantly on mud flats 

 at low water, by Mr. Bi'adley, that in three days he obtained 150 

 specimens. Some of them were 6 inches across while living. It 

 was usually deep purple, but occasionally light purple or white. 

 According to Mr. Bradley's observations upon the living polypes, 

 these are mostly "25 inch long, and about -12 inch across the ex- 

 panded tentacles, the bodies of the polypes beiug about '06 inch. They 

 are transparent, with an opaque stomach, the eight radiating lamellae 

 showing through the walls ; around the small mouth, which is edged 

 with white, are eight radiating white points, corresponding to the 

 intervals between the tentacles ; around the bases of the tentacles is a 

 brown ring, which runs down in points opposite to the spaces between 

 them. Opposite to the base of each polype are two (rarely four or five) 

 bunches of little white rays. The frond is nearly transparent, but 

 highly coloured by very numerous purple spicula, evenly distributed 

 on the peduncle and lower surface, but on the upperside arranged 

 along the edges of the polypiferous radiating lines, and especially 

 concentrated about the five (rarely six or seven) white points that 

 surround the closed polj^pes. The polypes are arranged somewhat 

 in quincunx, in lines that radiate from the attachment of the pe- 

 duncle, and curve outward on the sides to the lobes. The tentacles 

 are narrow and tapering, -04 to -06 inch long, bearing, especially in 

 young specimens, well-marked pinnaj at the tip and edges, which in 

 old ones often become reduced to a mere fringe. 



61. Renilla Danae. 



ReniUa Danae, Verrill, Bull. Mas. Co7np. Zool. p. 29. 

 Renilla americana (part.), Dana, Zooph. t. 57. f. 1. 

 Renilla reniformis, Herklots, Not. p. 28. 



Hab. Rio Janeiro. 



" This differs widely from R. reniformis in its broad rounded form, 

 its being wider than long, while It. reniformis is longer than broad, 

 in its much deeper sinus and overlapping posterior lobes, in its cos- 

 tate and granular under surface, which in the other is nearly smooth 



