﻿356 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA, 
  

  

  Obs. 
  The 
  differences 
  between 
  this 
  specimen 
  and 
  the 
  types 
  in 
  the 
  

   form 
  of 
  the 
  verrucae 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  their 
  more 
  expanded 
  condi- 
  

   tion 
  at 
  time 
  of 
  death 
  in 
  this 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  type 
  specimens. 
  Unfortu- 
  

   nately 
  no 
  spirit-specimens 
  have 
  as 
  yet 
  reached 
  the 
  Museum. 
  

  

  MELITH^ID^. 
  

  

  Melithfeacete, 
  Kollikei-, 
  Icones 
  Histiol. 
  p. 
  142. 
  

  

  Melitbseadfe, 
  Mopselladis, 
  and 
  Elliselladae, 
  Gray, 
  Cat. 
  Lithoph. 
  Brit. 
  

   Mus. 
  (1870) 
  pp. 
  3, 
  5; 
  24. 
  

  

  The 
  two 
  first-named 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Gray's 
  families 
  cannot 
  possibly 
  be 
  

   maintained 
  distinct 
  from 
  each 
  other, 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  genera 
  which 
  he 
  has 
  

   placed 
  iu 
  the 
  first, 
  McJitlum 
  (Melitodes) 
  includes, 
  as 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  a 
  

   careful 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  spicular 
  characters, 
  Anicella, 
  which 
  he 
  has 
  placed 
  

   in 
  the 
  second 
  ; 
  the 
  only 
  distinctive 
  character 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  Meli- 
  

   thaiadffi 
  are 
  alleged 
  to 
  be 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  Mopsellidai, 
  viz. 
  the 
  

   perforation 
  by 
  the 
  longitudinal 
  coenenchymal 
  canals 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  

   ioints 
  of 
  the 
  hard 
  axis, 
  is 
  exhibited 
  also 
  by 
  four 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  five 
  

   "genera 
  which 
  make 
  up 
  the 
  latter 
  family 
  ; 
  this 
  may 
  readily 
  be 
  ascer- 
  

   tained 
  by 
  examination 
  of 
  adult 
  specimens 
  representing 
  these 
  genera. 
  

   For 
  this 
  reason 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  obliged 
  to 
  relinquish 
  this 
  character 
  in 
  

   the 
  separation 
  of 
  the 
  genera, 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  Clathraria 
  and 
  

   the 
  new 
  genus 
  Ps'dacaharia, 
  and 
  have 
  in 
  this 
  Eeport 
  reconsidered 
  

   the 
  genera 
  and 
  species 
  involved, 
  and 
  after 
  comparing 
  them 
  with 
  the 
  

   rich 
  collection 
  already 
  iu 
  the 
  national 
  museum, 
  embracing 
  almost 
  

   every 
  known 
  species, 
  arranged 
  them 
  mainly 
  according 
  to 
  spicular 
  

   characters, 
  thus 
  following 
  the 
  plan 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  adopted 
  with 
  

   such 
  success 
  iu 
  other 
  groups 
  of 
  the 
  Alcyonaria 
  by 
  KoUiker 
  and 
  

   Verrill, 
  The 
  Elliselladse, 
  Gray, 
  include 
  a 
  Melithseid 
  (Wrightella). 
  

  

  The 
  family 
  thus 
  constituted 
  is 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  col- 
  

   lection 
  by 
  the 
  proportionally 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  six 
  species, 
  of 
  which 
  

   four 
  are 
  jiew, 
  one 
  appearing 
  to 
  be 
  generically 
  distinct 
  from 
  all 
  other 
  

   known 
  forms, 
  and 
  remarkable 
  further 
  for 
  its 
  pure 
  white 
  colour 
  and 
  

   slight 
  habit, 
  unexampled 
  in 
  the 
  family. 
  The 
  existence 
  of 
  a 
  dimor- 
  

   phism 
  of 
  the 
  zooids, 
  long 
  known 
  to 
  obtain 
  in 
  the 
  Pennatulida, 
  and 
  

   treated 
  of 
  in 
  the 
  Alcyouiidoe 
  (Beteroxenia, 
  Kolliker 
  ; 
  Sarcophytum, 
  

   Moseley, 
  Report 
  etc. 
  'Challenger,' 
  vol. 
  i. 
  p. 
  118), 
  and 
  by 
  Prof.Moseley 
  

   in 
  the 
  Coralliidse 
  (Quart. 
  Journ. 
  Micr. 
  Science, 
  n. 
  s. 
  vol. 
  xxii. 
  p. 
  396), 
  

   and 
  stated 
  by 
  Hickson 
  ((iuart. 
  Journ. 
  Sci. 
  1883, 
  Oct., 
  p. 
  574) 
  to 
  occur 
  

   in 
  the 
  Briareidae 
  (Paragorgia), 
  a 
  fact 
  which 
  I 
  am 
  able 
  to 
  confirm 
  

   from 
  specimens 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Museum, 
  was 
  also 
  pointed 
  out 
  for 
  the 
  

   first 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  family 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Hickson, 
  from 
  information 
  with 
  

   which 
  I 
  furnished 
  him, 
  viz. 
  in 
  a 
  new 
  species 
  (J\I. 
  alhitineta) 
  of 
  the 
  

   genus 
  Melitodes. 
  In 
  this 
  species, 
  the 
  only 
  one 
  of 
  between 
  20 
  and 
  30 
  

   species 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  in 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  observed 
  it, 
  this 
  phenomenon 
  

   occurs 
  in 
  a 
  somewhat 
  remarkable 
  manner, 
  partly 
  owing 
  to 
  which 
  I 
  

   had 
  at 
  first 
  overlooked 
  it 
  ; 
  but 
  on 
  my 
  attention 
  being 
  called 
  by 
  the 
  

   artist, 
  Mr. 
  Highley, 
  to 
  certain 
  projections 
  on 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  branches, 
  

   larger 
  than 
  the 
  ordinary 
  verrucse, 
  I 
  examined 
  the 
  corallum 
  more 
  

  

  