338 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



? Rhipidogorgia cancellata, M.-Edw. & ILiime, Hist. Cor. i. p. 179. 

 ? Paramuricea cancellata, Studer, MB. Ah. Berlin, 1878, p. G")3. 

 EcMnogorgia, sp., Verritt, American Journ. Sci. (2) xlvi. p. 143. 



The affinities of this long-known species have been so frequently 

 misunderstood that I fully describe its spicules to justify the course I 

 have taken in placing it in the genus EcMnogorgia. The spicules of 

 the general cortex, which is thick, are : — (i.) .Fusiform, pointed at each 

 end and generally curved, with scattered prominent, usually simple, 

 tubercles, often of large size ; length about *21 to -42 millim. by "053 

 to - 087 millim. broad (including tubercles), (ii.) Larger fusiform, 

 thickly covered with blunt, simple or compound tubercles on one 

 side ; on tho other bearing a few large, prominent, moderately sharp 

 do^-tooth-like tubercles, "035 to *07 millim. long. The spicule itself 

 has blunt ends and is usually but slightly curved ; it measures about 

 •56 by *177 to "25 millim. (iii.) Irregular tri- to sexradiate, with 

 low, blunt, generally rough tubercles ; maximum diameter of spicule 

 •177 to -25 millim., of single arms -035 to *053. (iv.) A form of 

 " Blattkeule " with very variously developed shaft, generally consist- 

 ing of several arms, covered with low, blunt, rough tubercles. The 

 foliar portion consists of two to four angular dog-tooth-like projec- 

 tions, arranged in one plane, more or less flattened in this plane (as 

 are the arms of the shaft), and their bases covered with similar but 

 less prominent tubercles ; length of teeth -053 to -14 millim., basal 

 diameter about *07 millim. ; size of spicule variable, from -25 to 

 •35 millim. in length and breadth. The spicules of the verrucas are 

 simple, fusiform, slightly tuberculate. 



Tho tooth-like spines of spicules (ii.) and (iv.) are directed out- 

 wards in the natural position of the parts and produce the minute 

 roughening of the surface of the ccenenchyma, which may be felt, 

 and is to be seen under a lens : the small fusiform (i.) and the form 

 (iii.) lie beneath, Eext to the horny axis. 



A large series of dry specimens occurs in this collection ; they are 

 usually more extended laterally than the specimen figured by Esper. 

 Most of them have a smaller general habit, the branches having 

 a mean diameter of -1 to 1*5 millim. in all specimens but one 

 (from Port Curtis), which has the 2 millim. characteristic of Esper's" 

 specimens and of examples from Torres Straits &c. already in the 

 Museum. The fundamental colour appears to be always a light 

 vellowish brown ; but many of the specimens have acquired a dusky 

 coloration, apparently subsequent to death. In some young speci- 

 mens from the Straits of Malacca (Bowerbank coll.) and Queensland 

 anastomosis is wholly wanting. 



Hob. Port Molle," Queensland, 12-20 fms. ; Port Curtis, ditto, 

 5-1 1 fms. 



Obs. Eclitnogorgia of Kolliker is nearly allied to Plevaura*, and 

 is perhaps connected with it by E. cerea and furfuracea and the 



* I repret haying placed TClnnzinger's species P. tort a (from theEedSea) in 

 the widely distinct genus Vittogorgia, in a communication to the 'Annals and 

 Magazine of Natural History (ser. 5, vol. ix. p. 191), its thick cortex sepa- 

 rates it from that genus, at any rate, though whether it can be maintained in 



