;5^> RENILLID^. 



59. Renilla violacea. 



Frond with a notch in front. 



Renilla violacea, Q?/oj/ ^- Gaim. Voy. Uran. p. (M2, t. 82. f. 5, «•; 

 Ehrenb. Corall. It. M.; lilainr. Man. (FAct.^. 518, t. 91. f. 2 (cop. 

 Qu(nj) ; Dann, Zooph. p. 589 ; Ilerklotx, Not. p. '2S ; Gray, Ann. S- 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. 1800, v. p. 24. 



Ilah. Coast of Brazil ; Rio Janeiro. 



60. Benilla amethystina. 



Renilla amethystina, Verrill, Proc. Boston Sac. Nat, Hist. April 18, 

 1866, p. 29. 



Hab. On mud flats, edge of sand beach, east of the R.R. wharf, 

 Panama (F. II. Bradley). 



This large and fine species was found so abundantly on mud flatii 

 at low water, by Mr. Bradley, that in three days he obtained 150 

 specimens. Some of them were G inches across while living. It 

 was usually deep purple, but occasionally light purple or white. 

 According to Mr. Bradley's observations upon the living poljrpes, 

 these are mostly -25 inch long, and about -12 inch across the ex- 

 panded tentacles, the bodies of the polypes being about '06 inch. They 

 are transparent, with an opaque stomach, the eight radiating lamelhc 

 showing through the walls ; around the small mouth, which is edged 

 with white, are eight radiating white points, corresponding to the 

 intervals between the tentacles ; around the bases of the tentacles is a 

 brown ring, which runs down in points opposite to the spaces between 

 them. Opposite to the base of each polype are two (rarely four or five) 

 bunches of little white rays. The frond is nearly transparent, but 

 highly coloured by very numerous purple spicula, evenly distributed 

 on the peduncle and lower surface, but on the upperside arranged 

 along the edges of the polypiferous radiating lines, and especially 

 concentrated about the five (rarely six or seven) white points that 

 surround the closed polypes. The polypes are arranged somewhat 

 in quincunx, in lines that radiate from the attachment of the pe- 

 duncle, and curve outward on the sides to the lobes. The tentacles 

 are narrow and tapering, -04 to -06 inch long, bearing, especially in 

 young specimens, well-marked pinna) at the tip and edges, which in 

 old ones often become reduced to a mere fringe. 



61. Renilla Dajise. 



Renilla Dana;, Verrill, Bull. Mtis. Coinn. Zool. p. 29. 

 Renilla americana (part.), Dana, ZiHmn. t. 57. f. 1. 

 Renilla reniformis, Jlerklots, Not. p. 28. 



Hah. Rio Janeiro. 



" This differs widely from R. reniformis in its broad rounded form, 

 its being wider than long, while II. reniformis is longer than broad, 

 in its much deeper sinus and overlapping posterior lobes, in its cos- 

 tate and granular under surface, which in the other is nearly smooth 



