﻿ALCrONARIA. 
  359 
  

  

  ? 
  Mt5lit^e 
  ochrac^e, 
  De 
  Blainville, 
  3Ian. 
  Actinol. 
  p. 
  604, 
  pi. 
  Ixxxvi. 
  

  

  fig. 
  3. 
  

   P 
  Mopsella 
  retifera, 
  Studer, 
  MB. 
  Ah. 
  Berlin, 
  1878, 
  p. 
  666. 
  

  

  Lamarck's 
  species 
  seems 
  not 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  clearly 
  identified 
  by 
  

   modern 
  writers, 
  with, 
  perhaps, 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  Verrill 
  (Bull. 
  Mus. 
  

   Comp. 
  Zool. 
  Camb. 
  i. 
  p, 
  38) 
  ; 
  I 
  have, 
  however, 
  little 
  doubt 
  of 
  its 
  

   identity 
  with 
  a 
  form 
  which 
  occurs 
  somewhat 
  abundantly 
  in 
  this 
  

   collection 
  from 
  Port 
  Molle, 
  Queensland, 
  &o. 
  I 
  have 
  thought 
  it 
  well 
  

   to 
  describe 
  this 
  form 
  fully, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  clear 
  up 
  the 
  uncertainty 
  which 
  

   has 
  hitherto 
  prevailed 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  correct 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  species. 
  

  

  It 
  branches 
  strictly 
  in 
  one 
  plane 
  and 
  has 
  elongated 
  meshes 
  ; 
  the 
  

   stem 
  and 
  main 
  branches 
  are 
  slight 
  and 
  break 
  up 
  almost 
  immediatehj 
  

   into 
  a 
  reticulum 
  of 
  undulating 
  thin 
  branchlets, 
  which 
  almost 
  all 
  

   anastomose 
  ; 
  the 
  terminal 
  branchlets 
  are 
  only, 
  about 
  1 
  millim. 
  in 
  

   diameter. 
  The 
  internodes 
  are 
  long 
  ; 
  the 
  joints 
  are 
  small, 
  short, 
  and 
  

   squarish. 
  The 
  cortex 
  is 
  rough, 
  rather 
  dull 
  scarlet 
  ; 
  the 
  zooid- 
  

   verructe 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  colour 
  ; 
  the 
  expanded 
  zooids, 
  scarlet 
  in 
  one 
  

   specimen, 
  yellow 
  in 
  another, 
  are 
  equal 
  and 
  small, 
  but 
  distinctly 
  pro- 
  

   minent, 
  abundant 
  over 
  the 
  front 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  branches. 
  Axis 
  

   of 
  joints 
  firm, 
  bright 
  red, 
  that 
  of 
  basal 
  internodes 
  longitudinally 
  

   channelled, 
  deep 
  red 
  ; 
  of 
  distal 
  internodes 
  faintly 
  striated, 
  but 
  ot 
  

   the 
  same 
  tint, 
  and 
  penetrated 
  bj^ 
  the 
  longitudinal 
  canals. 
  

  

  Spicules 
  of 
  general 
  cortex 
  : 
  — 
  (i.) 
  Fusiform, 
  sharply 
  pointed 
  at 
  both 
  

   ends, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  irregularly 
  scattered 
  tabercles, 
  

   which 
  are 
  large 
  and 
  blunt 
  at 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  spicule, 
  minute 
  

   at 
  the 
  ends 
  ; 
  dimensions 
  '18 
  by 
  '035 
  millim. 
  (ii.) 
  " 
  Blattkeulen," 
  

   large, 
  either 
  with 
  long 
  cylindrical 
  shaft, 
  strongly 
  tuberculate, 
  with 
  

   large 
  compound 
  tubei'cles 
  and 
  two 
  " 
  leaves 
  " 
  which 
  are 
  broad, 
  

   rounded, 
  the 
  edges 
  divided 
  into 
  blunt 
  teeth, 
  or 
  with 
  the 
  shaft 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  aborted 
  : 
  dimensions 
  of 
  spicule 
  '21 
  by 
  '105 
  millim., 
  length 
  of 
  

   cylindrical 
  shaft 
  alone 
  about 
  •! 
  millim. 
  Spicules 
  of 
  verrucoe 
  : 
  — 
  (iii.) 
  

   Longitudinal, 
  curved, 
  fusiform, 
  tapering 
  gracefully 
  to 
  sharp 
  points, 
  

   with 
  rather 
  few 
  tubercles, 
  prominent 
  and 
  sharp 
  at 
  middle, 
  disap- 
  

   pearing 
  towards 
  ends 
  ; 
  dimensions 
  -24 
  by 
  •035 
  millim. 
  (iv.) 
  Hori- 
  

   zontal, 
  very 
  regularly 
  fusiform, 
  curved, 
  pointed 
  rather 
  bluntly, 
  

   covered 
  with 
  very 
  closely 
  set, 
  low, 
  blunt 
  tubercles 
  ; 
  dimensions 
  '28 
  

   by 
  '041 
  millim. 
  

  

  Bah. 
  Port 
  Curtis, 
  5-7 
  fms. 
  ; 
  Port 
  Molle, 
  12-20 
  fms. 
  ; 
  Thursday 
  

   Island 
  and 
  Prince 
  of 
  Wales 
  Channel, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  4-7 
  fms. 
  Also, 
  

   perhaps. 
  Dirk 
  Hartog 
  Island, 
  W. 
  Australia, 
  and 
  N.W. 
  Australia 
  

   IStnder). 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  delicate 
  and 
  graceful 
  species 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  represented 
  in 
  this 
  

   collection 
  by 
  two 
  nearly 
  perfect 
  specimens 
  and 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  fragments 
  

   in 
  the 
  dry 
  state, 
  and 
  by 
  a 
  specimen 
  and 
  fragments 
  in 
  spirit. 
  The 
  

   largest 
  specimen 
  measures 
  193 
  millim. 
  (nearly 
  8 
  inches) 
  in 
  height, 
  

   by 
  140 
  millim. 
  (6 
  inches) 
  in 
  maximum 
  breadth; 
  the 
  thickness 
  of 
  

   the 
  base 
  is 
  — 
  ^joints 
  6 
  millim., 
  internodes 
  4 
  millim. 
  Lamarck's 
  and 
  

   Lamouroux's 
  descriptions 
  suit 
  the 
  species 
  very 
  well, 
  and 
  the 
  remark 
  

   of 
  the 
  latter 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  " 
  peu 
  rameuse 
  ; 
  se 
  divisant 
  subite- 
  

   ment 
  eu 
  ramuscules 
  tros-menus, 
  filiformes, 
  verruqucux, 
  anastomoses," 
  

  

  