﻿338 
  COILKCTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  ? 
  Rliipidogorgia 
  cancellata, 
  M.-Ed^o. 
  Sf 
  Ilaime, 
  Hist. 
  Cor. 
  i. 
  p. 
  179. 
  

   ? 
  Paramuricea 
  cancellata, 
  Sti(der, 
  MB. 
  Ah. 
  Berlin, 
  1878, 
  p. 
  653. 
  

   EcMnogorgia, 
  sp., 
  Verrill, 
  Americcm 
  Journ. 
  Set. 
  (2) 
  xlvi. 
  p. 
  143. 
  

  

  The 
  affinities 
  of 
  this 
  long-kuown 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  so 
  frequently 
  

   misunderstood 
  that 
  I 
  fully 
  describe 
  its 
  spicules 
  to 
  justify 
  ihe 
  course 
  I 
  

   have 
  taken 
  in 
  placing 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  genus 
  Echinocjor(]ia, 
  The 
  spicules 
  of 
  

   the 
  general 
  cortex, 
  which 
  is 
  thick, 
  are 
  : 
  — 
  (i.) 
  fusiform, 
  pointed 
  at 
  each 
  

   end 
  and 
  generallj^ 
  curved, 
  with 
  scattered 
  prominent, 
  usually 
  simi)le, 
  

   tubercles, 
  often 
  of 
  large 
  size 
  ; 
  length 
  about 
  "21 
  to 
  -42 
  millim. 
  by 
  -OSS 
  

   to 
  "OST 
  miUim. 
  broad 
  (including 
  tubercles), 
  (ii.) 
  Larger 
  fusiform, 
  

   thickly 
  covered 
  with 
  blunt, 
  simple 
  or 
  compound 
  tubercles 
  on 
  one 
  

   side 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  bearing 
  a 
  few 
  large, 
  prominent, 
  moderately 
  sharp 
  

   dog-tooth-like 
  tubercles, 
  '035 
  to 
  '07 
  millim. 
  long. 
  The 
  spicule 
  itself 
  

   has 
  blunt 
  ends 
  and 
  is 
  usually 
  but 
  slightly 
  curved 
  ; 
  it 
  measures 
  about 
  

   •56 
  by 
  '177 
  to 
  -25 
  millim. 
  (iii.) 
  Irregular 
  tri- 
  to 
  sesradiate, 
  with 
  

   low, 
  blunt, 
  generally 
  rough 
  tubercles 
  ; 
  maximum 
  diameter 
  of 
  spicule 
  

   •177 
  to 
  -25 
  millim., 
  of 
  single 
  arms 
  -035 
  to 
  -OoS. 
  (iv.) 
  A 
  form 
  of 
  

   " 
  Blattkcule 
  " 
  with 
  very 
  variously 
  developed 
  shaft, 
  generally 
  consist- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  several 
  arms, 
  covered 
  with 
  low, 
  blunt, 
  rough 
  tubercles. 
  The 
  

   foliar 
  portion 
  consists 
  of 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  angular 
  dog-tooth-like 
  projec- 
  

   tions, 
  arranged 
  in 
  one 
  plane, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  flattened 
  in 
  this 
  plane 
  (as 
  

   are 
  the 
  arms 
  of 
  the 
  shaft), 
  and 
  their 
  bases 
  covered 
  with 
  similar 
  but 
  

   less 
  prominent 
  tubercles 
  ; 
  length 
  of 
  teeth 
  'OoS 
  to 
  •14 
  millim., 
  basal 
  

   diameter 
  about 
  ^07 
  millim. 
  ; 
  size 
  of 
  spicule 
  variable, 
  from 
  •25 
  to 
  

   •35 
  millim. 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  breadth. 
  The 
  spicules 
  of 
  the 
  verructe 
  are 
  

   simple, 
  fusiform, 
  slightly 
  tubcrculatc. 
  

  

  The 
  tooth-like 
  spines 
  of 
  spicules 
  (ii.) 
  and 
  (iv.) 
  are 
  directed 
  out- 
  

   wards 
  in 
  the 
  natural 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  parts 
  and 
  produce 
  the 
  minute 
  

   roughening 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  coenenchyma, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  felt, 
  

   and 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  under 
  a 
  lens 
  ; 
  the 
  small 
  fusiform 
  (i.) 
  and 
  the 
  form 
  

   (iii.) 
  lie 
  beneath, 
  next 
  to 
  the 
  horny 
  axis. 
  

  

  A 
  large 
  series 
  of 
  dry 
  specimens 
  occurs 
  in 
  this 
  collection 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  

   usually 
  more 
  extended 
  laterally 
  than 
  the 
  specimen 
  figured 
  by 
  Esper. 
  

   Most 
  of 
  them 
  have 
  a 
  smaller 
  general 
  habit, 
  the 
  branches 
  having 
  

   a 
  mean 
  diameter 
  of 
  •! 
  to 
  1^5 
  millim. 
  in 
  all 
  specimens 
  but 
  one 
  

   (from 
  Port 
  Curtis), 
  which 
  has 
  the 
  2 
  millim. 
  characteristic 
  of 
  Esper's 
  

   specimens 
  and 
  of 
  examples 
  from 
  Torres 
  Straits 
  &c. 
  already 
  in 
  the 
  

   Museum. 
  The 
  fundamental 
  colour 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  always 
  a 
  light 
  

   yellowish 
  brown 
  ; 
  but 
  mjiny 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  have 
  acquired 
  a 
  dusky 
  

   coloration, 
  apparently 
  subsequent 
  to 
  death. 
  In 
  some 
  young 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  from 
  the 
  Straits 
  of 
  Malacca 
  (BoiverhanJc 
  coll.) 
  and 
  Queensland 
  

   anastomosis 
  is 
  wholly 
  wanting. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Port 
  Molle,' 
  (iueensland, 
  12-20 
  fms. 
  ; 
  Port 
  Curtis, 
  ditto, 
  

   5-11 
  fms. 
  

  

  Obs. 
  Edilnogorgia 
  of 
  KoUiker 
  is 
  nearly 
  allied 
  to 
  Plexaura*, 
  and 
  

   is 
  perhaps 
  connected 
  with 
  it 
  by 
  E. 
  cerea 
  and 
  furfuracea 
  and 
  the 
  

  

  * 
  I 
  regret 
  having 
  placed 
  Xlunzinger's 
  species 
  P. 
  forfa 
  (from 
  the 
  Eed 
  Sea) 
  in 
  

   the 
  widely 
  distinct 
  genus 
  Villogorgia, 
  in 
  a 
  communication 
  to 
  the 
  'Annals 
  and 
  

   Magazine 
  of 
  Natural 
  History 
  ' 
  (ser. 
  5, 
  vol. 
  ix. 
  p. 
  191) 
  ; 
  its 
  thick 
  cortex 
  sepa- 
  

   rates 
  it 
  from 
  that 
  genus, 
  at 
  any 
  rate, 
  though 
  whether 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  maintained 
  in 
  

  

  