﻿ALCYONAEIA. 
  361 
  

  

  4-6 
  fms., 
  bottom 
  rock 
  and 
  sand. 
  Studer's 
  species 
  was 
  obtained 
  at 
  

   Dirk 
  Hartog 
  Island, 
  AV^est 
  Australia. 
  

  

  Obs. 
  Three 
  young, 
  one 
  older 
  fresh 
  specimen 
  in 
  spirit, 
  one 
  large 
  adult 
  

   dry, 
  and 
  one 
  large 
  adult 
  dead 
  and 
  blackened 
  specimen, 
  and 
  numerous 
  

   fresh 
  fragments 
  dry 
  and 
  in 
  spirit 
  represent 
  the 
  species. 
  The 
  largest 
  

   specimen, 
  which 
  has 
  lost 
  its 
  terminal 
  twigs, 
  measures 
  400 
  millim. 
  in 
  

   height 
  by 
  275 
  in 
  maximum 
  breadth. 
  

  

  This 
  well-marked 
  species 
  is 
  very 
  well 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  

   by 
  specimens 
  showing 
  differences 
  due 
  to 
  age 
  and 
  other 
  causes, 
  

   constituting 
  variations 
  of 
  no 
  inconsiderable 
  extent. 
  The 
  internodes 
  

   of 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  branches, 
  except 
  the 
  few 
  primary 
  divisions 
  of 
  the 
  base, 
  

   attain 
  a 
  greater 
  lateral 
  diameter 
  than 
  2^ 
  millim. 
  or 
  a 
  greater 
  antero- 
  

   posterior 
  one 
  tlian 
  3| 
  millim. 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  further 
  distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  

   constant 
  club-shaped 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  stouter 
  fusiform 
  tuberculate 
  

   spicules 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  cortex 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  oblong 
  transverse 
  section 
  of 
  

   the 
  internodes. 
  

  

  The 
  tendency 
  to 
  vary 
  in 
  colour 
  is 
  very 
  remarkable 
  ; 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  

   joints 
  ranges 
  from 
  white 
  to 
  brick-red, 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  internodes 
  from 
  

   white 
  to 
  crimson. 
  The 
  pink 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  internode-axes 
  is 
  ex- 
  

   hibited 
  by 
  all 
  the 
  young 
  sj)ecimens 
  and 
  lost 
  externally 
  in 
  most 
  of 
  

   the 
  adult 
  colonies 
  ; 
  but 
  these 
  generally 
  exhibit 
  a 
  trace 
  of 
  their 
  

   earlier 
  condition 
  by 
  the 
  pink 
  tint 
  of 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  hard 
  joint, 
  as 
  

   may 
  bo 
  seen 
  by 
  breaking 
  it 
  across 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  the 
  colour 
  

   may 
  persist 
  in 
  its 
  fullest 
  intensity 
  in 
  the 
  adult, 
  as 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  a 
  

   fragment 
  of 
  a 
  good-sized 
  specimen 
  which 
  occurs 
  with 
  crimson 
  inter- 
  

   nodes. 
  The 
  dependence 
  of 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  anastomosis 
  on 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  

   the 
  specimen 
  is 
  another 
  very 
  interesting 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  species. 
  Of 
  

   the 
  two 
  youngest 
  complete 
  specimens 
  (one 
  40 
  millim., 
  the 
  other 
  

   upwards 
  of 
  50 
  millim. 
  long), 
  one 
  has 
  but 
  one 
  case 
  of 
  anastomosis 
  

   among 
  its 
  numerous 
  branches, 
  while 
  the 
  other 
  has 
  seven 
  such 
  

   cases. 
  

  

  ACABARIA. 
  

  

  Graj/, 
  Ann. 
  fy 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  H. 
  (4) 
  ii. 
  p. 
  444. 
  

  

  This 
  genus 
  has 
  the 
  general 
  habit 
  of 
  Mopsella 
  (viz. 
  slender 
  stem 
  

   and 
  branches, 
  the 
  latter 
  given 
  off 
  at 
  acute 
  angles), 
  but 
  has 
  fusiform 
  

   instead 
  of 
  Blattkeule 
  spicules 
  in 
  the 
  cortex, 
  replacing 
  the 
  small 
  

   nodular 
  spicules 
  of 
  Melitodes. 
  

  

  35. 
  Acabaria 
  japonica. 
  

  

  Mopsella 
  japouica, 
  Verrill, 
  Proc. 
  Ess. 
  Inst. 
  iv. 
  p. 
  199, 
  vi. 
  p. 
  80. 
  

   ? 
  Melitiea 
  tenella, 
  Dana, 
  U. 
  S. 
  Expl. 
  E.ip. 
  Zooph. 
  p. 
  683. 
  

  

  A 
  fine 
  dry 
  specimen 
  which 
  I 
  cannot 
  distinguish 
  specifically 
  from 
  

   the 
  above 
  species 
  ; 
  it 
  measures 
  about 
  110 
  millim. 
  in 
  extreme 
  vertical 
  

   and 
  30 
  millim. 
  in 
  extreme 
  lateral 
  extent. 
  

  

  The 
  terminal 
  branches 
  have 
  the 
  extremely 
  slight 
  thickness 
  of 
  

   •5 
  millim. 
  (excluding 
  verrucse) 
  ; 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  cortex 
  is 
  

   pale 
  scarlet, 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  verrucae, 
  which 
  are 
  prominent 
  and 
  rounded. 
  

  

  