8i 



when this ground is again dredged piebald varieties will also 

 be found. 1 was particularly pleased to find among the Cape 

 Alcyonaria these specimens of the genus Melitodes, because it 

 is the only genus of Gorgonacea in which dimorphism of the 

 polyps has been described (Ridley, 14). Ridley's specimens 

 of Melitodes albitincta were not preserved in spirit, and I had 

 some doubt at the time his paper was published whether the 

 examination of dried specimens was sufficient to prove the 

 existence of true dimorphism. In the yellow variety from 

 the Cape it may be clearly demonstrated that the polyps on 

 the terminal branches are not all of the same size, and a con- 

 dition very similar to that figured by Ridley would doubtless 

 be produced in dried and contracted specimens (Plate VI., B). 

 An examination of sections, however, proves that the larger 

 and smaller polyps do not dififer in any essential respects. 

 The small polyps possess eight tentacles and eight mesen- 

 teries similar to those of the larger ones of the colony, and 

 there can be no doubt that they are simply undeveloped 

 polyps of the ordinary kind. 



It seems to me, then, that we are justified in saying that 

 dimorphism has not yet been observed in the Gorgonacea. 



Neither the yellow nor the red variety exhibit sexual cells 

 very far advanced towards maturity ; but the presence of one 

 or two young egg cells in the latter prove it to be a female. 

 The sex of the former I have not at present 1)een able to 

 determine. 



As these specimens were obtained in September it would 

 be interesting to examine specimens found in March and 

 April, when they would probably be approaching sexual 

 maturity. 



FAM. : GORGONIDAE. 



GoRGONiA FLAMMEA. ElHs and Solander. 

 Plate V., B. 



The genus Lophogorgia was founded by Milne Edwards 

 for Gorgonia palma (Esper), which was afterwards called 

 Gorgonia flammea by Ellis and Solander. Neither Kolliker 

 nor Verrill accepted the new generic name, the former 

 including it in the genus Gorgonia and the latter in the genus 

 I.eptogorgia. Wright and Studer, however, have more 



A2616. 



