4 MELITH^EADJE. 



28. MELITHJEA. 



Coral fan-like, expanded, forked ; branches subparallel, often 

 parallel and inosculating ; buds and branches from the swollen arti- 

 culations. Bark granular, rather thick. Cells small, not prominent, 

 in two series on each side of the branches and branchlets, leaving the 

 upper and lower surfaces bare or nearly so (see Espcr, t. 21. f. 1, 2, 

 3). The axis of the branchlets rather solid, calcareous, of the lower 

 joints pierced with numerous tortuous pores. 



Melitaea, Ehrenb. 



Melithaea, Lamk. A. s. V. ii. p. 279. 



Isis, sp., Pallas. 



Melitodes, Verrill. 



The name Melitcea having been used for a genus of insects by 

 Fabricius in 1808, four years before it was employed by Lamouroux, 

 Mr. Verrill proposed Melitodes for the genus as restricted by Gray, 

 P. Z. S. 1859, p. 485. (Verrill, 1. c. p. 38.) 



" The axis is jointed like that of Isis ; but the horny matter is so 

 small in quantity as only to suffice to hold together the numerous 

 spicula of which the calcareous part of the axis is composed. These 

 spicula are of a reddish colour in the more solid parts of the axis, 

 those on the surface being larger and darker than those in the 

 centre, as shown at B ; but those on the joints are of a yellow colour 

 and smaller, as shown at c." Quekett, Lectures, Histology, ii. p. 127, 

 f. 66. 



70. Melithsea ochracea. B.M. 



" Rather forked, very branchy, expanded, fan-like ; joints swollen ; 

 branches and branchlets erect, flexuous, free." LamJc. 



The axis of the stem thick, calcareous, pierced with numerous very 

 tortuous pores; the articulations prominent, spongy; they become 

 obliterated with age, especially near the root. 



Accabarium rubrum, Humph. Amb. vi. p. 234, t. 85. f. 1. 



Pseudocorallium croceum, Rai. Hist. Plant, i. p. 63. 



Accabaar, Seba, TJies. iii. t. 101. f. 1. 



Lithoxylum ramosum, Linn. Hurt. Cliff", p. 480. 



Corallium rubrum, Ellis, Phil Trans. 1. p. 188, t. 3. 



Isis ochracea, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. p. 799 ; Pallas, Zooph. p. 230 ; 



Solander $ Ellis, Zooph. p. 105 ; Esper, i. t. 4. f. 4, 1-3, Suppl. t. 11 ! 



f. 1, 2 ; Gmelin, S. N. p. 3793. 

 Melitsea ochracea, Lamx. Polyp. Flex. p. 462 ; Deslony. Enc. Meth. 



p. 512 ; Lamk. Mem. Mm. i. p. 413 ; A. s. V. ii. p. 279 ; Meyen, Nov. 



Act. Leop. xvi. t. 29 ; Ehrenb. Corall. p. 131 ; Meyen, Nov. Act. Nat. 



Cur. xvi. p. 168, t. 29; Gray, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 285, 1859, p. 485; 



Dana, Exp. p. 682; Kolliker, Ic. Hist. p. 142, t. 19. f. 37, 40, 43. 

 Melitea ochracea, Warne, Corall. p. 230. 

 Melithsea ochracea, Milne-Edw. Corall. i. p. 199. 

 Melitodes ochracea, Verrill, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. p. 38. 



Coral orange-red; cells rather produced, bright cinnabar-red, 

 rather far apart. 



a. Coral bright yellow, with purplish-red cells ; cells in two or 

 three rows, chiefly confined to the sides of the branchlets. 



