I02 Natural History Bulletin. 



These organs will be more fully discussed in connectiort 

 with another species. 



The ova are found attached by short pedicels to the inner 

 edge of that portion of the mesenteries projecting below the 

 gullet. These organs are of a brilliant red color in fresh 

 specimens and are covered with vibratile cilia. They develop 

 into free swimming planulas as is usual among alcyonarians. 



The following extract from my note book may be of interest: 



" Spanish Wells, Bahamas, July 2, '88. To-day Philip- 

 brought more branches of Alcyonarian No. i' and Porites 

 sp? together in a bucket. A large number of small, oblong 

 red bodies" which were mobile and ciliated were found on the 

 surface of both species, but much more abundant on the 

 former. They were in several instances seen protruding 

 from the mouths of the Porites^ and one in this position was 

 watched until \'i finally disappeared zuithln the polyp. Was it 

 a case of invasion or of capture? As said before, these red 

 bodies were much more numerous on the surface of the alcy- 

 onarian and could also be seen deep within the tissues of the 

 latter. Each planula . . . was attached to the coral by 

 a byssus-like thread." 



This observation is, I believe, unique, and I have nothing to 

 offer in explanation, unless it be the suggestion "that the plan- 

 ulae were seeking for secure places for attachment and found, 

 nothing more available than the calicles of the Porites. 



A transverse section of a branch (PI. I, fig. 6) shows that 

 the calicles are inserted so that radii from the central axis 

 would traverse their long diameters. There is no great regu- 

 larity in the arrangement of the polyps on the zoanthodeme. 

 They are simply thickly implanted over the greater part of 

 the branches and thin out toward the base of the zoanthodeme 

 and, also, in the specimen examined, at the ends of the 

 branches. 



The ectodermal investment of the zoanthodeme is continu- 



1. Briareuin asbestinuin. 



2. Planula? of Briareum. 



