Dr. E, P. Wright on a new Genus 0/ Gorgonidse. 25 



stomose. The horny nodes are short and very much of the same 

 length throughout ; but the calcareous internodes vary con- 

 siderably in lengtli. The whole of the stem is equally covered 

 with polypes. The ccenenchyina developes such a mass of 

 spicules, that they may be said to form a roughened mat-like 

 tissue over its whole surface. The spicules forming the calyx 

 around the polypes are large and fusiform ; those scattered 

 through the barky layer are much smaller, longer than broad, 

 and slightly irregular, and they differ from any of those figured 

 in Kolliker's '■ Icones.' In the body-substance of the polypes, 

 in what he regarded as the inner portion of the ectodermic 

 layer, a third variety of spicules is met with : these are very 

 small, and belong to the same generic type as those occurring 

 in Isis htppuris (Linn.). I looked for polymorphism in this 

 species, but it did not exist. 



Not only am I indebted to Prof. Bocage for the specimen 

 figured (fig. 2), which I have presented to the British Museum, 

 but Sig. Capello, the Assistant in the Museum of Lisbon, had 

 the great goodness to sketch for me the portion of the coral 

 represented in fig. 1. 



An interesting question now arises as to the position of this 

 genus. All zoologists appear agreed to divide the Actinozoa 

 with eight pinnately lobed tentacles (Alcyonaria) into the 

 three divisions (families) of (1) Alcyonidaj, (2) Gorgonidas, 

 and (3) Pennatulidse ; and the points of dispute are chiefly as 

 to the rank to which these divisions are entitled, as to the ge- 

 nera that are to be placed in them, and as to the sequence of 

 these genera. The family Gorgonidee is divided by Milne- 

 Edwards into three subfamilies — Gorgoninas, Isidinas, and 

 Corallin£e ; the second of these contains the genera Isis, Mop- 

 sea, and Melithcea. Since the publication of the ' Histoire des 

 Coralliaires ' (1857), many new genera belonging to this family 

 have been published by Dr. J. E. Gray and others; and Dr. 

 J. E. Gray published the first j)art of a " Synopsis of the 

 barked Corals " in the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society' 

 for 1857 (pp. 278-294). This synopsis was not completed; 

 but all interested in this subject will be glad to know that 

 Dr. Gray has in the press a Catalogue of the Alcyonaria in 

 the British Museum, in which work we may expect to find an 

 arrangement of the genera, based on a very extensive expe- 

 rience and on an examination of an immense number of genera 

 and species. For my present purpose it will be sufficient to 

 decide to which of the genera of Gt)rgonid£e as established by 

 Milne-Edwards Keratoisis most nearly approaches. Accord- 

 ing to IMilne-Edwards, the Corals with an axis presenting 

 nodes and internodes (jointed) would necessarily belong to the 



