﻿354 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  32 
  millim., 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  strongly 
  flattened, 
  rather 
  undulating 
  portion, 
  

   with 
  a 
  midrib 
  1 
  to 
  2 
  millim. 
  thick 
  running 
  longitudinally 
  down 
  its 
  

   middle, 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  edges 
  are 
  drawn 
  out 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  

   form 
  a 
  double-edged 
  knife-like 
  ending, 
  with 
  a 
  maximum 
  breadth 
  of 
  

   7 
  millim. 
  ; 
  above, 
  this 
  is 
  united 
  to 
  the 
  hollowed, 
  zooid-bearing 
  part 
  

   by 
  a 
  cylindrical 
  portion, 
  20 
  millim. 
  long 
  and 
  3 
  millim. 
  in 
  maximum 
  

   thickness, 
  apparently 
  solid. 
  Only 
  10 
  millim. 
  from 
  the 
  commence- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  zooid-bearing 
  part, 
  a 
  strong 
  tubular 
  branch 
  is 
  given 
  off, 
  

   and 
  another 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  side 
  only 
  4 
  millim. 
  further 
  up 
  the 
  ter- 
  

   minal 
  tube, 
  which 
  is 
  considerably 
  bent 
  to 
  one 
  side, 
  and 
  constitutes 
  

   with 
  the 
  last 
  mentioned 
  branch 
  a 
  true 
  bifurcation, 
  which 
  thus 
  takes 
  

   place 
  at 
  only 
  14 
  millim. 
  from 
  the 
  commencement 
  of 
  the 
  functionally 
  

   active 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  colony. 
  

  

  The 
  colony 
  is 
  thus 
  manifestly 
  young, 
  for 
  the 
  stem 
  is 
  65 
  millim. 
  

   long, 
  Avhile 
  the 
  zooid-bearing 
  part 
  is 
  only 
  40 
  millim. 
  long 
  and 
  carries 
  

   near 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  each 
  of 
  its 
  branches 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  narrow 
  spatular 
  

   or 
  grooved 
  processes 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  15 
  millim. 
  in 
  length, 
  recalling 
  those 
  

   which 
  attain 
  so 
  great 
  a 
  development 
  (up 
  to 
  10 
  centim. 
  long, 
  Studer) 
  

   in 
  S. 
  r/rai/i, 
  Studer, 
  and 
  in 
  S. 
  {Solmogorgia) 
  tuhulosa, 
  Genth. 
  The 
  

   maximum 
  antero-posterior 
  diameter 
  of 
  the 
  tubular 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  colony 
  

   is 
  only 
  8 
  millim. 
  The 
  verrucas 
  form 
  a 
  single 
  row 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  

   the 
  tubes 
  and 
  spatulate 
  processes. 
  The 
  colour 
  differs 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  

   the 
  type 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  in 
  being 
  a 
  dull 
  pale 
  orange, 
  with 
  

   dark 
  purplish 
  verructe, 
  whereas 
  in 
  that 
  specimen 
  it 
  is 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  

   part 
  (in 
  its 
  present 
  dry 
  condition) 
  a 
  dull 
  umber-brown 
  with 
  a 
  tint 
  

   of 
  red, 
  with 
  a 
  reddish 
  lateral 
  band 
  including 
  the 
  verrucoe. 
  The 
  

   length 
  of 
  the 
  spatulate 
  processes 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  me 
  sufficient 
  to 
  

   show 
  any 
  close 
  connection 
  with 
  S. 
  f/rciyi 
  ; 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  spicules 
  agree 
  

   essentially 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  iS. 
  tortiiosum, 
  I 
  retain 
  that 
  name 
  

   for 
  this 
  specimen 
  as 
  well. 
  

  

  As 
  Studer's 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  spiculation 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  appears 
  

   erroneous 
  in 
  some 
  points, 
  I 
  give 
  herewith 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  an 
  exam- 
  

   ination 
  of 
  the 
  type 
  specimen. 
  Cortical 
  spicules 
  : 
  — 
  (i.) 
  Clavate 
  or 
  

   excentrically 
  fusiform, 
  covered 
  with 
  coarse, 
  prominent, 
  cylindrical 
  

   tubercles, 
  often 
  roughened 
  terminally 
  ; 
  size 
  of 
  spicule 
  •21 
  to 
  -39 
  by 
  

   •06 
  to 
  "12. 
  (ii.) 
  Superficial, 
  short, 
  broad, 
  cj'lindrical, 
  with 
  about 
  3 
  

   rude 
  whorls 
  of 
  very 
  prominent 
  ragged 
  tubercles 
  ; 
  size 
  of 
  spicule 
  about 
  

   •14 
  by 
  '07 
  millim. 
  [this 
  spicule 
  is 
  not 
  figured 
  by 
  Studer 
  for 
  the 
  species, 
  

   but 
  a 
  very 
  similar 
  form 
  is 
  given 
  by 
  him 
  as 
  the 
  axial 
  spicule 
  of 
  yS^. 
  grayi, 
  

   uader 
  which 
  species 
  is 
  also 
  figured 
  one 
  which 
  differs 
  from 
  (ii.) 
  mainly 
  

   in 
  having 
  simpler 
  tubercles]. 
  The 
  white 
  chalky 
  axial 
  mass 
  consists 
  

   mainly, 
  if 
  not 
  exclusively, 
  of 
  (iii.) 
  long 
  cylindricals 
  with 
  rounded 
  

   ends, 
  bearing 
  sharp-pointed 
  tubercles 
  at 
  considerable 
  intervals 
  ; 
  size 
  

   of 
  spicule 
  about 
  -38 
  by 
  -035 
  millim. 
  The 
  external 
  longitudinal 
  

   verrucfe-spicules 
  (iv.) 
  are 
  irregularly 
  fusiform 
  or 
  cylindrical, 
  strongly 
  

   roughened 
  by 
  prominent 
  closely-set 
  tubercles, 
  and 
  measure 
  about 
  

   •18 
  by 
  "07 
  millim. 
  ; 
  towards 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  verruca 
  these 
  pass 
  

   into 
  irregular 
  flattened 
  or 
  styliform 
  bodies 
  about 
  -14 
  millim. 
  long 
  

   by 
  "017 
  millim. 
  broad, 
  (v.) 
  The 
  horizontal 
  spicules 
  of 
  the 
  verrucoe 
  

   are 
  fusiform, 
  tapering 
  gracefully 
  to 
  rounded 
  points, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   curved 
  ; 
  they 
  bear 
  numerous 
  small, 
  smooth, 
  and 
  rounded 
  tubercles 
  

  

  