Simpson — A Revision of the Gorgonellidae. 125 



XXXVII. Geographical Distkibution. 



The great importance of the Geographical Distribution of even a small 

 group of animals, but especially those whose early life is pelagic and whose 

 adult life is sedentary, is becoming more and more evident. Such knowledge, 

 combined with systematic oceanographical observations, may eventually help 

 to solve many problems that at present are a source of great perplexity to 

 the biologist. 



It is premature to attempt such a distriliution of .luncellids; but in view 

 of the fact that in this memoir a general survey of the group, so far 

 as it is known, has been given, and as the references to localities, especially 

 in the case of the older species, are extremely scattered, the following 

 summary may serve as a basis for a more detailed study when furtiier records 

 are forthcoming. 



Although doubt may exist as to the specific deterniinaliun of those species 

 added as an appendix to the genus Juncella, it may be useful to include 

 them here, inasmuch as they are in all probability Juncellids. 



It has been considered inadvisaV)le with the limited records at our dispo-sal 

 to draw any conclusions as to tlie dispersal of these organisms, as to their 

 origin as a part of a littoral fauna, or as to the probability of their being 

 originally indigenous in certain areas. 



Distribution of the Juncdla-group of Gorgonellids. 



The Juncella-group of Gorgonellids occurs botli in the Atlantic and 

 Pacific waters, but almost entirely withui the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, 

 and also chiefly in the Pacific Ocean. The extreme records North and 

 South are " Off Japan " and " OH' Cape Colony." The following are the 

 chief centres : — (1) Red Sea, (2) Persian Gulf, (3) Laccadives, (4) Maldives, 

 (5) West Coast of India, (6) Ceylon, (7) Andamans, (8) Mergui, (9) Bourbon, 

 (10) Mauritius, (11) Cape Colony, (12) East Indies, (l.S) Japan, (14) East 

 Coast of Australia, (15) West Coast of Florida and in the Atlantic, (16) East 

 Coast of Central America, (17) N.-E. of South America, {lH) Azores, 

 (19) Mediterranean Sea. 



Genus Juncella. 



This is the most widely distributed genus in tlie group, and is almost 

 entirely a Pacilic Ocean form. 



Genus Seirpcaria, 

 This genus is entirely restricted, with the exception of S.flagclhim, so far 

 as the present records show, to the Pacific Ocean. 



