29. MELITELLA. 7 



tliread-like, regularly anastomosing ; joints elongate ; internodcs 

 swollen ; the bark with many imbedded spicules ; cells scattered. 



•* Branches divaricated, reticidately inosculating. 



76. Melitella retifera. B.M. 



Stem thick ; branches nodose at the joints, flat, ramulose ; branch- 

 lets divaricated, flexuous, rather reticulated, and very closely warty, 

 frequently anastomosed, articulations remote or deficient on the 

 twigs, verj' apparent on the branches, and close together on the stem. 

 Bark purple, or yellow with purple spots, or orange. Polype-cells 

 large, conical. 



Isis auraiitia, Esper, Suppl. ii. t. 9, 



Isis cocciuea, Esper, Siqjpl. ii. t. 10. 



Melitaja retifera, Lamk. Mem. i. p. 412, Hist. ed. 2. ii. p. 473; Lamx. 

 Polyp. Flex. p. 463 ; Ehrenh. Corall. p. 131 ; Gray, P. Z. S. 1857, 

 p. 284, 1859, p. 486 ; Dana, Exp. p. 683 ; Kolliher, Ic. Hist. p. 142, 

 t. 19. f. 38, 39. 



Mopsella aurantia, Verrill, Mus. Coinp. Zoul. p. 38. 



Melitea retifera, Warne, Corallina, p. 231. 



Melithtea retifera, Milne-Eclw. Corall. i. p. 200. 



Hah. Indian Ocean; Australia ( (Jarred). 



77. Melitella textiformis. B.M. 



" Stem short, knotty, dividing considerably into very slender, 

 warty, anastomosing t-\vigs, leaving lengthened meshes." — Lamx. 



MelitfBa textiformis, Lamk. Mhn. Mus. i. p. 412 ; Lawix. Polyp. Flex. 

 p. 465, 1. 19. f. 1 ; EJirenb. Coridl. p. 131 ; Gray, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 285. 

 Melithasa textiformis, Milne-Edtv. Corall. i. p. 201. 

 Melitea textiformis, Warne, Corallina, p. 231, 1. 19. f. 1. 

 Melitea retifera, var. ?, Dana, Zoojjh. p. 683. 

 Mopsella textiformis, Verrill, Pull. Mus. Camp. Zool. p. 38, 



Hah. South Seas. 



78. Melitella coccinea. B.M. 



Small, variously branched ; branches very slender, tortuous, 

 divaricated ; branches diverging and anastomosed together ; articu- 

 lations obsolete, contorted ; cells scattered, conical. 



Isis coccinea, FRlis ^- Solander, Zooph. p. 107, t. 12. f. 5 ; Gr'wu7. S. N. 



p. 3794 ; Es2)er, i. t. 3a. f. 5 (cop. Ellis). 

 Melita3a cocciuea, Lamk. Mem. Mus. i. p. 413, Hist. ii. n. 4 ; Ehrenb. 



Corall. p. 131 ; KolUker, Ic. Hist. p. 142, t. 15. f. 9, t. 16. f. 1, 2 ; 



Dana, Exp. p. 683 ; Gray, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 284, 1859, p. 486. 

 Melitasa Rissoi, Lamx. Polyp. Flex. p. 463 ; Expos. Method. Polyp. 



p. 38, 1. 12. f. 5 (from Ellis). 

 Melitea Rissoi, War^ie, Corallina, p. 231. 

 Melitha^a coccinea, Milne.-Ed%o. Corall. i. p. 200. 



Hah. India ; New Holland. 



" Varies yellow, buff, rose-red, and scarlet colours." — Dana. 



79. Melitella japonica. 



Coral low, spreading, dichotomous, branching, nearly on a plane ; 



