REPORT ON THE ALCYOXARIA. XXXvii 



6. Clathraria, Gray, Cat. Lithophytes Brit. Mus., 1870, p. 11 ; Proc. Zoo]. Soc. 



Lend., 1859, p. 486. 



Cylindrical, manifoldly curved branches, often una.stomo.sing, and of uniform 

 thickness throughout. The polyps are sunk into the coenenchyma. The axis includes 

 no nutritive canals. Spicules in cortex, broad and short foliaceous clubs. 



7. Parisis, Verrill, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1864, No. 3, p. 37. 



In contrast to the general rule among the Melitodidse, the branches here arise from 

 the internodes. The protruding calyces ari.se on the smaller branches over the 

 entu-e margin. The spicules remind one of those of I.su ; they are thick, irregular, 

 often constricted in the middle and beset with warts. Trinella stvinhoei, Gray, for 

 which Gray established his genus Trinella, was based on the axis of a Parisis, over- 

 grown by a siliceous Sponge, and bearing the polyps of a Palythoa, which Gray 

 mistook for Alcyonarian polyps. 



Family IV. C o R a L L I D M. 



CoraUidee, Gray, Proc. Zoo). Soc. Loixl., 1857, p. 28G ; Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1859, 

 ser. 3, vol. iv. p. 444 ; Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1859, p. 480; Cat. Lithophytes 

 Brit. Mu,^., 1870, p. 22; Ridley, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1882, p. 221. 



CoralUrue, Daua, U.S. Explor. E.xped., 184G, p. 039 ; Milne- Edwards, Hist. Nat. des Coralliaire-s, 

 t. i. p. 201. 



The axis consists of a dense calcareous mass the result of spicules fu.sed together. 

 Both auto- and siphonozooids occur. 



Ridley ' has pointed out the close relationship between the Corallidse and 

 Melitodidte. 



1. Corallium, Lamarck. | 2. Pleurocorallium, Gray. 



1. Corallium, Lamarck, Hist. Nat. Anim. sans Vert., ed. 1, 1816, t. ii., p. 295 ; Lacaze 



Duthiers, Hist. Nat. du Corail, Paris, 1864; Ridley, Proc. Zool. Soc. Loud., 



1882. 



The genus CoraZ/mm, represented by the precious coral {Corallium rubnim), has only 



one kind of spicule, and the calyces of the polyps occur over the entire surface of the 



colony. 



' Loc. cit., ^ipra, pp. 221-233. 

 (zool. cuall. exi'. — I'AUT LXiv. — 1889.) Sss/ 



