Miscellaneous. 499 



Notes on the Distribution of Ceratella fusca, Gray. 

 By J. Brazier, C.M.Z.S. 



A specimen of this Hydroid Zoophyte has been in the Australian 

 Museum for a number of years placed with the Gorgonoid Corals. 

 Only a few weeks ago, when clearing out some of the cellar-rooms 

 in the Museum, Mr. Whitelegge found in some glass jars in spirits 

 some very fine specimens, supposed to have been obtained in the 

 trawl by employes of the Fisheries Commission of New South 

 Wales. It does not appear, however, that any records of the trawl- 

 ing, dates, or depths have been recorded, and the only locality given, 

 " off Sydney Heads," is a wide term indeed. 



Genus Ceratella, Gray, 1868. 

 Ceratella fusca, Gray. 



Ceratella ftisca, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. Nov. 20, 18G8, p. 579, fig. 2; 

 Carter, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4 ser. vol. xi. no. Gl, Jan. 1873, 

 pp. 8-10 ; Bale, Catalogue of Australian Hydroid Zoophytes, 1884, 

 p. 48 ; Von Lendeufeld, Troc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. 1884, vol. ix. 

 p. 612. 



Hah. Head of Bondi Bay, N. S. W. (/. E. Gray) ; Wreck Bay, 

 south of Jervis Bay, N. S. W., found on the beach after S.E. gale 

 (J. Brazier, 1870) ; Broughton Islands, north of Port Jackson, 33-35 

 fathoms (Australian Museum, Nov. 1880) ; Port Jackson Heads 

 (Australian Museum, Sept. 1879) ; off Port Jackson Heads (iV. S. W. 

 Fisheries Commission), no record of depth, specimens in Australian 

 Museum ; Bondi Bay, found in grass-wrack after S.E. gale (T. 

 Whitdegge, May 30, 1886). 



The whole of the specimens are in a splendid state of preserva- 

 tion. A portion of the specimen obtained by Mr. Whitelegge in 

 May has been mounted by him for microscopical examination. 



Dr. von Lendenfeld, in his paper on the Australian HydromedussB 

 (loG. cit. p. 612), is very curt when he says that Dr. Gray's descrip- 

 tion " is worthless." If the description is worthless the figure given 

 by Gray is to the point in all that is required, for though this natu- 

 ralist generally gave a short description of nearly everything he 

 described, he always took care to give good figures. 



Mr. H. J. Carter, F.Il.S., in his valuable paper on the Hydracti- 

 niidae (loc. cit. p. 10), calls attention to the excellent illustrations 

 given by Dr. Gray, and any scientist who has seen them cannot but 

 acquiesce. When Dr. E. P. Ilamsay was in London some two years 

 ago, he obtained from the British Museum some Hydroids, named 

 by the authorities of that institution, and among them is a specimen 

 of Dehitella atrorubens, Gray, Algoa Bay, with a reference name 

 Ceratella fusca. Gray. This is undoubtedly Dehitella atrorubens. 

 Gray, the Australian Museum never having received any specimen 

 or specimens of Ceratella fusca. Gray, from the British Museum. — 

 Proc. Linn. Soc. of New South Wales, vol. i. 2ad ser., June 30, 1886, 

 pp. 575, 576. 



