﻿342 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  interval 
  of 
  145 
  millim., 
  in 
  planes 
  which 
  are 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  with 
  

   Olio 
  another. 
  The 
  hard 
  axis 
  is 
  tough 
  and 
  flexible 
  ; 
  its 
  colour 
  is 
  

   that 
  of 
  whalebone 
  at 
  the 
  basal 
  end, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  1-5 
  millim, 
  in 
  dia- 
  

   meter 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  about 
  '6 
  millim. 
  thick 
  at 
  the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  stouter 
  branch. 
  

   The 
  cortex 
  is 
  firm, 
  roughened 
  by 
  the 
  slight 
  projection 
  of 
  the 
  verrucse, 
  

   which 
  usually 
  form 
  three 
  alternating 
  rows 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  slight 
  

   median 
  bare 
  space. 
  The 
  verructe, 
  which 
  are 
  open, 
  are 
  oval 
  eleva- 
  

   tions, 
  just 
  sufficiently 
  raised 
  to 
  render 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  cortex 
  

   uneven 
  ; 
  their 
  loug 
  axis 
  follows 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  or 
  branch, 
  and 
  is 
  

   about 
  '6 
  millim. 
  long 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  swollen 
  wart-like, 
  but 
  rather 
  

   resemble 
  the 
  reverse 
  side 
  of 
  holes 
  made 
  in 
  paper 
  by 
  thrusts 
  with 
  a 
  

   sharp 
  point, 
  whereby 
  a 
  thin 
  rim 
  of 
  broken 
  paper 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  extrude 
  

   at 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  to 
  that 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  hole 
  is 
  made. 
  Between 
  

   the 
  verrucas 
  the 
  cortex 
  is 
  smooth 
  or 
  even 
  glabrous. 
  Colour 
  dull 
  

   crimson. 
  Cortical 
  spicules 
  fusiform, 
  with 
  two 
  main 
  whorls, 
  dis- 
  

   tinct 
  from 
  each 
  other, 
  of 
  distinct, 
  low, 
  rough 
  tubercles 
  ; 
  a 
  few 
  

   larger 
  ones 
  have 
  two 
  smaller 
  subterminal 
  whorls, 
  distinct 
  from 
  

   the 
  median 
  ones, 
  of 
  similar 
  character, 
  and 
  beyond 
  them 
  the 
  apex 
  

   is 
  formed 
  by 
  a 
  pointed 
  or 
  irregular, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  tuberculate 
  end 
  ; 
  

   but 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  the 
  outer 
  pair 
  of 
  whorls 
  practically 
  terminate 
  

   the 
  spicule 
  ; 
  size 
  -OST 
  to 
  -lUG 
  by 
  -053 
  millim. 
  ; 
  colour 
  deep 
  crimson. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Port 
  Deuison, 
  Queensland, 
  4 
  fms. 
  ; 
  bottom 
  rock. 
  

  

  Obs. 
  The 
  only 
  points 
  in 
  which 
  I 
  find 
  this 
  species 
  to 
  differ 
  fi'om 
  

   Verrill's 
  description 
  are 
  the 
  slightly 
  inferior 
  diameter 
  of 
  the 
  spicules, 
  

   the 
  absence 
  of 
  longitudinal 
  grooves 
  to 
  the 
  stem 
  &c., 
  the 
  crimson- 
  

   red 
  colour, 
  the 
  branching 
  not 
  being 
  confined 
  to 
  one 
  plane. 
  

  

  If 
  this 
  species 
  should 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  identical 
  with 
  Verrill's 
  it 
  will 
  

   be 
  a 
  remarkable 
  case 
  of 
  distribution, 
  as 
  the 
  latter 
  was 
  obtained 
  

   from 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Panama 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  remembered 
  that 
  the 
  

   specimen 
  is 
  single 
  and 
  imperfect. 
  

  

  16. 
  Leptogorgia 
  aiistraliensis. 
  (Plate 
  XXXYI. 
  figs. 
  C, 
  C, 
  c, 
  c.) 
  

  

  Corallum 
  flabelliform, 
  branching 
  in 
  one 
  plane. 
  A 
  small 
  number 
  

   (two 
  or 
  three) 
  of 
  main 
  branches 
  are 
  given 
  off 
  b}^ 
  the 
  short 
  

   common 
  stem, 
  and 
  are 
  pinnate 
  at 
  short 
  intervals 
  with 
  loug 
  simple 
  

   pinnte 
  or 
  branchlets, 
  generally 
  alternate, 
  diminishing 
  in 
  length 
  

   towards 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  branches 
  ; 
  a 
  few 
  pinna3 
  may 
  be 
  themselves 
  

   pinnate. 
  Base 
  thin, 
  small. 
  Main 
  stem 
  cylindrical. 
  The 
  main 
  

   branches 
  are 
  almost 
  straight, 
  the 
  pinnoD 
  curve 
  upwards 
  ; 
  both 
  

   branches 
  and 
  piiinaj 
  are 
  much 
  flattened 
  out 
  laterally, 
  tapering 
  to 
  

   slender, 
  slightly 
  hastate 
  apices. 
  Main 
  stem 
  in 
  large 
  adult 
  specimens 
  

   about 
  (j 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter, 
  main 
  branches 
  5 
  millim. 
  at 
  base 
  : 
  pinnae 
  

   ranging 
  in 
  size 
  from 
  15 
  centim. 
  in 
  length 
  by 
  2| 
  millim. 
  in 
  greatest 
  

   diameter 
  to 
  6 
  centim. 
  by 
  1 
  millim., 
  in 
  exceptional 
  cases 
  20 
  centim. 
  

   (8 
  inches) 
  long. 
  Surface 
  almost 
  smooth, 
  but 
  for 
  the 
  polype-cells 
  

   and 
  some 
  grooves 
  and 
  raised 
  lines. 
  The 
  main 
  stem 
  is 
  marked 
  by 
  

   a 
  few 
  shallow 
  longitudinal 
  furrows 
  ; 
  the 
  branches 
  are 
  provided 
  on 
  

   both 
  the 
  anterior 
  and 
  posterior 
  faces 
  with 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  distinct 
  

   furrow, 
  slightly 
  undulating 
  (sometimes 
  very 
  tortuous, 
  much 
  inter- 
  

  

  