66 " ENDEAVOUR " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



MopseUa textijormis, Verrill, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., I., 

 1864, p. 38. Id., Ridley. Report Zool. Coll. H.M.S. 

 "Alert," 1884. p. 358.^ Id.. Thomson and Mac- 

 kinnon, Mem. Austr. Mus., IV., 13, 1911. p. 671, pi. 

 Ixiii., figs. 4, 5. 



Several almost complete specimens in the collection agree 

 closely with the descrijition of MopseUa textijormis (Lamarck), 

 given by Ridley. The largest specimen has a height of 

 34cm., with a width of 37cm. across the branched portion. 

 The diameter near the base is 2cm. The basal attachment 

 is lacking. The branching is strictly in one plane with abun- 

 dant anastomosis. The labyrinthine pattern, to which 

 Thomson and Mackinnon have directed attention, is clearly 

 shown on the weathered axis ; and there is a well-marked 

 tendency, as pointed out by Ridley, for the stem and main 

 branches to " break up almost immediately into a reticulum 

 of undulating thin branchlets, which almost all anastomose." 

 The internodes vary in length from 4 to 10 mm., and the 

 nodes from 4 to 6 mm. 



The polyps are mainly confined to the anterior aspect of 

 the colony. They are disposed irregularly in slightly pro- 

 jecting verrucae. 



The spicules are exactly like those described by Ridley — 

 (1) fusiform shapes sharply pointed at both ends, and 

 covered with irregularly scattered tubercles — -210 x •035mm. ; 

 •171 x-035 mm. ; •157'x-035 mm. ; (2) " Blattkeulen " with 

 orange shafts and lemon-yellow heads — -140 x -052 mm. ; 

 •122 x-052 mm. ; -087 x-043 mm. Very few of the " Blatt- 

 keulen " have the long shafts mentioned by Ridley. The 

 spicules of the verrucae are — (3) curved fusiform shapes 

 tapering to sharp points, with few tubercles — -245 x •035mm.; 

 •220 x^035 mm. ; -210 x ^035 mm. ; (4) curved fusiform 

 shapes pointed rather bluntly and covered with closely set 

 blunt tubercles— -297 x -052 mm. ; ^236 x -052 mm. ; ^218 x 

 •070 mm. 



Localities. — Off the coast of South iVustralia. 



Fifteen miles south of St. Francis Island, Great Australian 

 Bight, 30 fathoms. 



Distribution. — Australia (Lamouroux, Gray, Verrill). South 

 Seas (Gray). Port Curtis, 5-7 fathoms, and Port MoUe, 

 Queensland, 12-20 fathoms ; Thursday Island and Prince 

 of Wales Channel, Torres Straits, 4-7 fathoms (Ridlfey). Lord 

 Howe Island (Thomson and Mackinnon). 



