FUNICULINA QUAI)RAX<JULARIS, 



ventro-lateral angles are the largest of all (Fig. 3). These latter may, 

 as shown in Fig. 5, encroach somewhat on the ventral sui-face. 



The polypes are largest and most closely placed in the uppermost 

 12 ins. of the rachis, where they form a thick heavy mass, completely 

 weighing down the top when taken out of water. The greatest width 

 of the feather, at 6 ins. from the top, is '^ ii/. 



The ventral surface has an average width of U-11 in. It is not 

 perfectly straight throughout, but becomes curiously twisted at one or 

 moi-e points, the most marked of which is lOi ins. from the upper end, 

 and is indicated in Fig. 1. These twists are apparently due to some 

 irregularity in growth, though it is quite possible that the fleshy 

 coenenchym, as shown by Sir J. Dalyell to occur in VirriuUiria,* 

 may be able during life to twist itself round the calcareous stem, and 

 80 cause the distortion in question. 



The largest polypes measure 0-30 in. in length, by 0-(J8 in. in width ; 

 the larger zooids are U-05 in. long, and the smallest ones are minute warts. 

 As already mentioned, it is impossible, in many cases, to distinguish 

 between the larger zooids and the smaller polypes, and we ai'e strongly 

 disposed to view the former as being, at any rate in many cases, only 

 polypes that have not \ et reached maturity. At the most crowded 

 part there are about fourteen rows of polypes per inch length of the 

 rachis, with nine polypes in each row. The total immber of polypes 

 may be estimated at about 3,000.f 



The smaller specimens obtained living differ from the larger one 

 above described in the following points (Fig. 6) : — The general propor- 

 tions are very similar, but the actual size of the largest polypes is less 

 than those of the large specimen ; the polypes ai'e also far less closely 

 packed, considerable portions of the dorsal and lateral surfaces being 

 left bare between the bases of the polypes and zooids : the polypes 

 instead of being closely massed together in dense clusters are distinctly 

 arranged in oblique rows along the whole length of the rachis. 

 Furthermore the gradual transition from zooids to polypes is far more 

 evident than in the larger specinien. 



These differences between the larger and smaller specimens of Fitni- 

 culina are of some zoological interest. A^errill,^ from a comparison 

 of sevei-al Scotch specimens with ones from the Mediterranean, 

 concluded that they belonged to distmct species, and proposed the 

 name Fuiiiculina Forbesii for the Scotch one. Concerning it he says : 

 " It is much more slender than the latter (F. quadraiigularis, the 

 Mediterranean form) with far less numerous and crowded polypes ; 

 these are arranged in oblique series of two or three, instead of live ; 



* Sir .Jehu Graham Dalyell, " Eare and Remarkable Animals of Scotland," 

 184S, Vol. ii., p. 185. 



t The above description of the largest of the Oban specimens will be found 

 to agree very closely with that given by Kulliker (oj). cit., pp. :257-25S) of a very 

 flue specimen o'.i ins. in length, obtained from the Danish coast, and now in the 

 Museum of Copenhagen. 



I A. E. Verrill : List of the Polypes and Corals sent by the Museum of 

 Comparative Zoology to other Institutions in exchange, with annotations. Bul- 

 letin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard Colic -c, 1864, p. 30. 



