﻿3G0 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FKOM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  may 
  be 
  considered 
  characteristic 
  of 
  its 
  habit 
  ; 
  his 
  figure, 
  though 
  

   taken 
  apparently 
  from 
  a 
  rather 
  stunted 
  specimen, 
  is 
  fair, 
  but 
  the 
  

   joints 
  are 
  too 
  long. 
  Lamarck, 
  too, 
  notices 
  the 
  short 
  stem 
  and 
  its 
  

   sudden 
  division 
  into 
  slender 
  branches, 
  which 
  are 
  its 
  best 
  external 
  

   distinguisliing 
  characters. 
  In 
  its 
  minute 
  structure 
  it 
  is 
  characterized 
  

   by 
  its 
  tine 
  Blattkeule 
  with 
  dentate 
  edges 
  and 
  graceful 
  longitudinal 
  

   verruca-spicuje. 
  Dry 
  specimens 
  are 
  apt 
  to 
  turn 
  white 
  ; 
  perhaps 
  the 
  

   white 
  variety 
  mentioned 
  by 
  Lamarck 
  (l. 
  c.) 
  is 
  an 
  instance 
  of 
  this 
  

   phenomenon. 
  A 
  variety 
  occurs 
  from 
  Torres 
  Straits 
  with 
  grey 
  cortex, 
  

   black 
  verrucse, 
  white 
  internodes, 
  red 
  joints. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  figured 
  by 
  De 
  Blainville 
  {I. 
  c.) 
  differs 
  from 
  ordinary 
  

   specimens 
  of 
  M. 
  texUformis 
  in 
  its 
  yellow 
  soft 
  joints. 
  It 
  is 
  possibly 
  

   a 
  variety 
  of 
  M. 
  coccinea. 
  

  

  34. 
  Mopsella 
  clavigera. 
  

   (Plate 
  XXXVII. 
  fig. 
  B 
  ; 
  Plate 
  XXXVIII. 
  figs. 
  «-«".) 
  

  

  ? 
  Mopsella 
  elongata, 
  Studer, 
  MB. 
  Ak. 
  Berlin, 
  1878, 
  p. 
  666. 
  

  

  Corallum 
  branching 
  strictly 
  in 
  one 
  plane 
  : 
  branches 
  almost 
  inva- 
  

   riably 
  anastomosing 
  in 
  adult 
  at 
  the 
  soft 
  joints, 
  proportionately 
  less, 
  

   according 
  to 
  age, 
  in 
  the 
  younger 
  specimens 
  ; 
  the 
  meshes 
  thus 
  formed 
  

   are 
  either 
  longitudinally 
  elongated 
  or 
  irregularly 
  polygonal 
  ; 
  the 
  

   frond 
  may 
  be 
  either 
  about 
  as 
  broad 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  high, 
  or 
  the 
  height 
  may 
  

   be 
  double 
  the 
  breadth. 
  Stem 
  short, 
  moderately 
  developed 
  or 
  weak. 
  

   Internodes 
  undulating 
  or 
  seldom 
  straight, 
  compressed, 
  the 
  antero- 
  

   posterior 
  diameter 
  having 
  the 
  proportion 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  side 
  

   diameter 
  of 
  about 
  3:2; 
  penetrated 
  towards 
  base 
  by 
  longitudinal 
  

   canals. 
  Soft 
  joints 
  distinct, 
  but 
  not 
  large, 
  elongated 
  near 
  base 
  of 
  

   main 
  branches, 
  only 
  just 
  perceptible 
  in 
  younger 
  parts. 
  Verrucse 
  

   numerovis, 
  scattered 
  over 
  sides 
  and 
  back 
  (or 
  front) 
  of 
  corallum, 
  but 
  

   leaving 
  a 
  bare 
  space 
  down 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  its 
  posterior 
  aspect 
  ; 
  tuber- 
  

   cular 
  in 
  shape, 
  slightly 
  prominent. 
  Cortex 
  thin, 
  white 
  and 
  almost 
  

   colourless. 
  Axis 
  of 
  internodes 
  rough, 
  white 
  or 
  pale 
  pink 
  (generally 
  

   only 
  so 
  in 
  young 
  specimens). 
  Soft 
  joints 
  bright 
  red. 
  pink, 
  or 
  almost 
  

   colourless. 
  Verrucue 
  dirty 
  brownish 
  to 
  white 
  in 
  colour. 
  

  

  Spicules 
  of 
  general 
  cortex: 
  — 
  (i.) 
  Coarsely 
  tuberculated, 
  rather 
  

   bluntly 
  pointed, 
  fusiform, 
  of 
  various 
  sizes, 
  the 
  larger 
  ones 
  some- 
  

   what 
  swollen, 
  tapering 
  and 
  sometimes 
  terminated 
  by 
  a 
  small 
  " 
  Blatt 
  " 
  

   at 
  the 
  other 
  extremity 
  ; 
  average 
  maximum 
  dimensions 
  17 
  to 
  "21 
  

   by 
  -07 
  millim. 
  (ii.) 
  Blattkeule, 
  compound, 
  with 
  about 
  two 
  lancet- 
  

   shaped 
  laminae, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  and 
  these 
  mainly 
  flattened 
  in 
  one 
  plane, 
  

   with 
  a 
  short 
  conical 
  to 
  almost 
  obsolete 
  shaft, 
  covered 
  with 
  smallish 
  

   tubercles 
  often 
  deeply 
  dentate 
  ; 
  average 
  maximum 
  dimensions 
  -14 
  

   by 
  '07 
  millim. 
  Spicules 
  of 
  verruca 
  long, 
  slender, 
  curved 
  and 
  pointed, 
  

   fusiform, 
  with 
  tubercles 
  fewer 
  and 
  less 
  prominent 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  

   cortical 
  spicules 
  and 
  less 
  numerous 
  near 
  the 
  ends 
  : 
  average 
  maximum 
  

   dimensions 
  -20 
  by 
  -026 
  to 
  -285 
  by 
  '044 
  millim. 
  

  

  lfa}>. 
  Port 
  Curtis, 
  Queenslanrl, 
  5-1 
  1 
  fms., 
  bottom 
  sand 
  and 
  shells 
  ; 
  

   Port 
  MoUe, 
  14 
  fms., 
  bottom 
  rock 
  ; 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  

  

  