68 "endeavour " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



Order AXIFERA, (/. von Koch. 



Family ISID^E. 



Genus Isis, Linnceus. 



Isis HippuRis, Linnceus. 



(Plate v., figs. 1-2 ; Plate xi., fig. 1.) 



Isis hippuris, Linnaeus, 83'st. Nat., 10th ed., 1758, p. 799. 

 Id., Pallas, Elenchus Zoophytorum, 1766, p. 233. 

 Id., Ellis and Solander, Nat. Hist. Zoophytes, 1786, 

 p. 105, pi. iii., figs. 1-5. Id., Esper, Die Pflanzenthiere, 

 i., 1791, p. 279, pi. i., figs. 1-4, pi. ii., pi. iii., figs. 1-3, 

 pi. iiiA., figs. 1-4. Id., Lamourou.x, Hist. Polyp, 

 corall. flexibles, 1816, p. 476. Id., Lamarck, Hist. 

 Anim. sans vert., ii., 1816, p. 302. Id., Lamouroux, 

 Exposition Methodique, 1821, p. 59, pi. iii., fig. 1. 

 Id., Blainville, Manuel Actinologie, 1834, p. 503, pi. 

 Ixxxvi., fig. 1. Id., Lamarck, Hist. anim. sans vert., 

 2nd ed., 1836, p. 475. /«?., Steenstrup, Om slaegter og 

 der under Isis hippuris Linn, sammenblendede Arten, 

 1848, p. 1. Id., Milne-Edwards et Haime, Hist. Nat. 

 Corall., i., 1857, p. 194. Id., Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc, 

 1857, p. 283. Id., Kolliker, Icones Histologicae, ii., 

 1865, p. 140, pi. xvi., fig. 4, pi. xix., figs. 1-3. Id., 

 Wright and Studer, Chall. Rep., Zool., xxxi., 1889, 

 p. 280. Id., Simpson, Journ. Linn. Soc. Zool., xxix., 

 1906, p. 421, pi. 43, figs. 1-4. Id., Thomson and 

 Simpson, Alcyonaria Indian Ocean, ii., 1909, p. 180, 

 pi. vi., figs. 1-3. Id., Nutting, Gorgonacea Siboga 

 Exped., v., Isidae, 1910, p. 6, pi. i., figs. 1, la, lb, 

 pi. v., fig. 1. 



Although a well-known and striking form, this species was 

 very imperfectly described until Simpson (1906) published 

 his results of an examination of a number of specimens from 

 the Andaman Sea. In the " Endeavour " collection there 

 is a solitary sj)ecimen from the coast of Queensland, and the 

 Australian Museum collection contains five others. 



The largest specimen is an incomplete colony rising to a 

 height of 133 cm., with a breadth of 6-4 cm., and a thickness 

 of 35 cm. The main stem, flattened in section, is 9 mm. 

 in thickness. From this arise the main branches, lateral in 

 position, which are compressed in the plane of ramification. 

 The secondary branches are thick and compressed, and give 



