PENNATULIDA. 



35 



name Virgularia gracilis* has long ago been used by Gabb and Verrill for another, Californian, 

 species 1 ). I have therefore used as specific name, Koren and Danielssen's oldest name for the genus 

 which, I think, is quite descriptive in itself. 



Koren and Danielssen originally established the genus Cladiscus with the species Cl. gracilis 

 on a single, fragmentary specimen (Fauna litt III. p. 102); the genus was referred to the subfamily 

 Fimiculinco' of the family of the Virgularise in the (old) system of Kolliker; later, Kolliker (Chall. Rep. 

 p. 35) placed this tgenus^> far from the Virgularise in his family Protocaulidce.' 1 ). This erroneous posi- 

 tion - - far from the Virgularise - - is, I think, essentially due to the misinterpretation of certain 

 features in the structure of the colony by Koren and Danielssen, which misinterpretation, among other 

 things, led them to establish the genus Cladiscus. The fact is that in the original diagnosis of this genus, 

 only the following essential features are mentioned viz. that the cells are situated separately^, and the 

 zooids ventral >. (Lateral zooids are not mentioned). In the description of the single specimen of the species 

 Cl. gracilis upon which the genus has been established, it is said of these zooids: On the ventral 



surface there appears a series of scattered zooids which, in the spaces between the groups of 



cells are more agglomerated, become larger, and form strong ventral protuberances of a very peculiar, 

 as it were, crenulated appearance; the zooids, which are very much elongated, lying in the protuber- 

 ances nearly in fan-like arrangement (fig. 15 a). In each protuberance there are from 20 to 25 zooids:;. 

 Later (Bergens Mus. Nye Alcyonider etc. p. 23) with the help of a new species* Cl. Loveni the generic 

 characters have been supplemented with a remark that the lower end of the axis is knob-shaped 

 (which is not correct); on the other hand, nothing whatever is said iu the altered diagnosis as to 

 zooids. According to the description, the new species is not provided with the above mentioned 

 ventral zooids, but on the contrary with a single series of 3 4 lateral zooids below each wing. At 

 the same time, the authors protest against Kolliker's transferring the genus Cladiscus to the family 

 Protocaulida, in which the calyx of the polyps is said to be wanting 3), justly drawing attention to 

 the fact that the polyps are here provided with distinct cells; but when they then place their genus 

 in the family ProtoptilidcE K611., they are still farther in the wrong. Finally, the same authors again 

 find in a third species Cl. Kollikcri (Norwegian North-Atlantic Expedition p. 57) the ventral zooids , 

 arranged upon the whole as in Cl. gracilis, but bell-shaped and containing sexual organs (!) (comp. 1. c. 

 PI. II, figs. 8 13); further, two transverse rows (each of three individuals) of lateral zooids below the 

 wings. From a close examination of the type-specimens of these three Cladtscus-species in the Bergen 

 Museum (where I have also examined the later added specimens of Cl. Loveni, mentioned by Grieg 

 (I.e. p. 20)) it was easy for me to see: i) that the specimen described as C I. gracilis has also lateral 

 zooids, 2) that in Cl. Loveni the same ventral zooids are found as in the two other species, and 3) that 

 the lateral zooids in all three species may occur in a single row, or some may be placed in such a 

 way that the row seems double. As the number of polyps in the wings, three or four, which number 

 varies with growth, cannot be used here as a distinguishing specific character there can be no doubt 



') This species is hardly caracterized in such a way, that one would recognize it from the original description only. 

 Comp. Kolliker, Monogr. p. 215. 



2 ) This family (under the section Spicato:, subsection Junciformes) consists in Kolliker of the genera Prolocaulon 

 K611., and Cladiscus Kor. Dan.; as both the genera must be abandoned, the family must also be dropped. Marshall & Fowler 

 (Rep. Penn. Porcupine p. 462) had seen already that its place was unnatural. 



3) In -iPi-otocaulon-i, however, a calyx is found. See above p. 31. 



5* 



