46 



PENNATULIDA. 



broad (with these measurements those of Kolliker: 0.4—0.7, agree very well); the spicules are often, 

 as it were, divided longitudinally into, or composed of, several incomplete individuals; this holds good 

 also with regard to the shorter forms, as also for the tentacles. 



Passing now to the hitherto wrongly understood young stages we shall begin with the 

 smallest specimen. It is only 73""" long (of which the peduncle makes ca. 15"™), and belongs to the 

 Bergen Museum, where it was found, together with two other larger specimens, in a glass labelled: 

 'iProtoptilum tor turn Grieg; Vadso, G. O. Sars>:. It is figured on PI. II, fig. 30, three times the natural 

 .size; if this figure is compared with fig. 32, which represents the top of a fully formed Halipteris 

 christii (viz. the above mentioned specimen from the Faeroe Isles of a length of 400""") magnified to 

 the same degree, the agreement in the form of the calyx will be so apparent that any further account 

 will be unnecessary; it ma>- be remarked, however, that the calyx-points are upon the whole somewhat 

 more marked in the very young specimen. 



It is evident that Grieg has founded the description of his Protoptilitm fortuvi upon the largest 

 specimen in the same glass (143""" long), and this is the specimen figured 1. c. PI. VII, figs. 19 — 20, 

 PI. VIII, figs. I— 3; he does not even mention that he had two more specimens. In «Bidr. til de norske 

 Alcyonariers (1886) p. 13 it is said of the calyx: «The edge of the cell is smooth; on the free side, 

 however, is found a small tooth very richly provided with spicules-) '). To this I shall only add that 

 in this as in the other specimens I find two teeth, one of which is in most polyp-individuals some- 

 what larger than the other. 



The next smallest specimen I have seen is 86""" long (the peduncle only 7"""). It deviates 

 rom the former by the fact that the part of the rhachis where the polyps are developed, is much 

 longer, whilst on the other hand the lower part with the rudiments is extraordinarily short; the new, 

 inner polyps are upon the whole also larger. Together with a fragment 146'"™ long 2) it was labelled: 

 iLygojnorpha Sarsit, Kristiansund, 80 — 100 fathoms. G. O. Sars coll.>^ 



Next come two specimens, respectively 106 and 125'"™ long, the peduncle respectively 20 and 

 25'"'", labelled: <s.Lygoniorpha Sarsii^ Lofoten, Risvser. G. O. Sars coll.» These are the type-specimens of 

 Koren and Danielssen of the genus and species stated on the label 3). Here all the polyps are 

 fairly well expanded, and the calyx consequently is distended; nevertheless, the calyx-points seem to 

 be comparatively long and are considerably more conspicuous than is commonly the case in adult 

 specimens with expanded polyps; they seem also to be somewhat richer in spicules, but an examina- 

 tion of the spicules shows the form and size characteristic of Halipteris. Nor have Koren and 

 Danielssen quite overlooked the resemblance; in Fauna htt III, p. 100, they say: «The genus L. comes 

 nearest to the Halipteris, Kollikers, but in the same breath they mention a series of features which 



') p. 20: -the free uiargiu is funiished with an extremely minute papiUa». 



2) In this specimen the lower part of the rhachis together with the peduncle is wanting; in the upper part of tue 

 rhachis the appearance is already J/alipleyis-\xV.<i on account of the increase in the number of polyps, whilst the lower part 

 resembles more that of the small specimen; on either side of tlie rhachis two poljp-individuals are inverted (comp. Virgul. 

 mirabilis above p. 32); here, the aljnormal position is especially conspicuous, the long side of the calyx-cone and the two 

 points of the calyx-edge being turned towards the peduncle instead of towards the top, as in the other individuals. 



3) That my measuresmeuts are a little different from those in Fauna litt. Norv. p. 100, is owing to the fact that Koren 

 and Danielssen have paid no regard to the curves, and as to the peduncle, have not seen its real hmit; the quite small 

 polyp-rudiments at the lower part of the rhachis have presumably been overlooked. In Halipteris the peduncle in reality is 

 always very short. 



