Miscellaneous. ;j(Jl 



polype-cells ; the inner part strengthened with thick, fusiform, 

 longish tubercular spicules with three or five wide, smooth, sunken 

 cross bands, separating the tubercular surface of the middle of the 

 spicules into bands respectively. The spicules in shape arc like those 

 figured by Prof.Ivo]liker, in his ' Icones Histiologica),' t. 18. f. 31 & 39, 

 as found in Gon/onia setosa and G. sanguinohnta ; f . 42 & 43, Gorgo- 

 nella pseudo-antipathes and G. granulata. 



Eusclerides chinensis. 



Hah. North China. B.M. 



Mr. Carter says, " The spicule is calcareous, tubercular, elliptical, 

 presenting from three to five smooth bands, or intervals without 

 tubercles, alternating with the tubcreidar ones, all forming so many 

 circular rings round the central axis of the ellipse. About twice as 

 long as broad, and j^ inch long. 



" There ai'e seldom more than three smooth bands, and these may 

 be more or less irregularly disposed ; but the figure given shows the 

 average form and size of the spicules, though taken from one of 

 those which are most symmetrically formed. The whole tissue is 

 pregnant or densely charged with them. 



" The magnified surface shows the form of the pits ; the larger are 

 situated in the middle of the smaller, cup-shaped ones. The larger 

 ones contain the animal with its eight divisions, showdng the dry 

 contracted animal. In the centre of each of the smaller cups is an 

 aperture which may be an outlet for the ova, which abound in tlie 

 structure round the large cells. Urticating organs are also present." 



Mr. Carter has also sent me a drawing, with some interesting details 

 of the structm-e, of a species ai Spoggodes which was brought up from 

 the bottom of the sea off the south-cast coast of Arabia, on a fishing- 

 hook. The coral was of a " greyish colour, more or less transparent, 

 firmly gelatinous interiorly, semicrusted with rough, fusiform calca- 

 reous sjncules externally. Animal pinkish, just visible, suiToundod 

 by a cupwork of fusiform spines, one of which is much longer than 

 the rest. Skeleton of spine- or spicule-work consisting of different- 

 sized fusiform spicules. The branches are branched, the branchlcts 

 short, eacli ending in a spherical head of polypes more or less bristled 

 by the projecting calcareous fusiform spicules." 



The mass is large and short (5 inches each way), with very thick, 

 rather compressed, barren stems, divided above into short, thick, 

 rounded lobes, which are covered with clusters of short brnnclies 

 ending in spherical heads of polypes. I propose to call the species, 

 which is evidently very distinct from any I have before seen, &pog~ 

 godes conglomeratus. 



On the Anatomg of the Geinis Gordius. By H. Grenachek. 



The singular resiilts obtained by ^1. !Mcissner, in his anatomical re- 

 searches on the Gordiacca, have induced tlie energetic expression of 

 doubts on tlie part of several naturalists ; the conscientious work of 

 M. Grenacher ought therefore to be welcome to all. The author has 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser.4. Vol.'w. 26 



