34 



EEKILLID^. 



Fam. 5. RENILLID^E. 



Coral frondosc, expanded, fleshy, without any axis. Stem with 

 abundance of red trigonal spicules. 



" Polj^es arranged symmetrically on the upper surface of a more 

 or less flattened cavernous disk, or frond, to the lower surface of 

 Avhich there is attached a hollow locomotive organ, in the form of a 

 peduncle destitute of a solid axis." — Vernll, Mem. Boston Soc. Nat. 

 Hist. i. p. 12. 



1. Renilla. Frond oblong or kidney-shaped. Polypes numerous. 



2. Herklotsia. Frond oblong or kidney-shaped. Polj-pes few. 



3. Renillina. Frond expanded, lobcd. Polypes few. 



23. RENILLA. 



Renilla, Lamk. A. s. V. ed. 2. p. 248 ; Dana, Zooph. p. 588. 



Disk smooth above and beneath. Frond oblong, kidney-shaped, 

 continued into the stem. Polypes numerous. 



" Frond more or less reniform, with a notch or sinus in the pos- 

 terior edge ; lower surface somewhat striated with radiating lines ; 

 upper surface with scattered cells surrounded by spicula, whicli 

 usually project a little above the surface. Polypes, when expanded, 

 much exserted, but capable of entire retraction. Among the perfect 

 polj-pes are scattered numerous rudimentary individuals, which appear 

 like clusters of small ■white papillae. The peduncle is attached to 

 the lower surface at or near the sinus ; it is hollow, more or less 

 coriaceous, filled, like the surface of the frond, with calcareous 

 spicula, but capable of a great amount of contraction and expansion ; 

 a membrane divides it into an anterior and posterior longitudinal 

 chamber. The former communicates with a large cavity occupying 

 the central and posterior portion of the upper surface, and from this, 

 * / numerous openings, with other carities, filhng the whole interior 

 of the frond, and connected with the polj-pes. The posterior chamber 

 communicates directly with a large cavity at the origin of the pe- 

 duncle, and then by numerous small openings with the other cavities 

 of the disk. The tentacles have rather long lobes, in a single row 

 on each side." — Verrill, Mem. Boston Soc. N. II. i. p. 17. 



ns. ReniUa reniformis. B.M. 



Kidney-shaprd S,;i-l',.n, El/t's, Phil. 7'/w/v. liii. p. 1-7. i. !'•». f. <')-10. 

 remiatula i-.'iiil'ni'inis. /V/Zc/.v, Zn<fph. p. ;!71. n. --- ; /-V'V.s A- Sulnnihr, 

 Zooph. p. (") 



u->. 



