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Subfamily Funiculininse. 

 Funiculina quadrangularis ( Pallas ) = Leptotilum gracile, Kolliker. 



A broken colony, 358 mm. in length. 



The axis is quadrangular in section, with deep grooves on three of the sides, 

 in the lower part. It is 0'95 mm. in diameter, and tapers gradually to a delicate 

 thread at the tip. 



All the autozooid.s have fallen off, so that their arrangement cannot be ascer- 

 tained with certainty, but they seem to have occurred alternately in a single 

 row on each side of the axis. Several detached autozooids are 7 mm. in length 

 and 2 mm. in breadth. Each has eight projecting apical points formed of a number 

 of small smooth blunt rod-like spicules, 1'2 mm. in length, 0-038 mm. in diameter. 



The autozooids are colourless, but the dark brown contents of the stomodseum 

 are seen through the walls. 



We see no sufficient reason to separate this form from Leptoptilum gracile, 

 though the autozooids in Kolliker's specimens were only 3-4 mm. in length. Grieg 

 and Jungersen have shown that Leptoptilum gracile is simply a stage in the life 

 history of Funiculina quadrangularis. 



Locality : Bay of Bengal ; 753 fathoms. Previously recorded as Leptoptilum 

 gracile from New Zealand. Funiculina quadrangularis is recorded from North Sea, 

 the Atlantic Ocean (on the European and American sides), the Mediterranean, etc. 



Another delicate graceful specimen is referred to this species. It is complete, 

 and has a total length of 49 mm., of which the stalk occupies 22 mm. 



The colony is extremely delicate, the rachis differing from the stalk only by 

 the presence of the autozooids. 



The autozooids are arranged in twos almost at the same level, or one slightly 

 above the other. They lie partly on the pararachidial, partly on the metarachidial 

 surface. They stand almost at right angles to the surface of the stalk, or are 

 directed slightly upwards. Between each pair of autozooids two small zooid-like 

 structures are present, but these are undoubtedly young stages of autozooids. 



The polyp-calyces have eight projecting points, each composed of a number 

 of spicules. On the bodies of the calyces the spicules are arranged in an irregular 

 manner, but mostly transversely ; underlying the transverse spicules there are 

 eight narrow bands of longitudinally arranged spicules. These bands are formed 

 in the following manner : each point divides into two sets of diverging spicules, 

 each set then joins with the adjacent set of the next point, and the two sets thus 

 united form a band extending towards the base of the calyx. 



The calyces are from 2-3 '5 mm. in height, and some of the younger autozooids 

 between the others are from 1-1 - 5 mm. in length. Their walls are very thin and 

 translucent. 



The crenenchyina is thin and transparent, allowing the axis to shine through. 



