22 KEPORT ON THE PENNATULIDA. 



If no mistake has been made, this species, concerning which, in the 

 absence of any specimens, we inust feel doubtful, is of considerable 

 interest as coming from an otherwise unrecorded locality. 

 History and Literature. 



We propose under this heading to give as complete a list as we have 

 been able to compile of the descriptions and figures of Funiculina 

 published hitherto, arranged according to date of publication. We 

 have purposely omitted references to works on systematic zoology, in 

 which Funiculina is merely mentioned in its proper zoological position, 

 but have included all original works and papers bearing on the subject 

 with which we are acquainted. We have indicated by an asterisk all 

 works to which we have not been able to refer directly. 



*1761. — Bohadscli : " De quibusdam Animalihus Marinis," p. 112, and 

 Plate IX., Figs. 4 and 5. Contains description and two figures of 

 the first recorded specimen of Funiculina, discovered by himself 

 at Naples in 1757. This specimen was, according to Bohadsch, 

 34ins. long, but broken at the lower end. He notices the 

 quadrangular shape of the stem, also that the polypes cover three- 

 fourths of the upper part of the rachis, but leave the fourth side 

 bare. The polypes were 1,310 in number, and are noted as 

 being non-retractile. 



1764. — Ellis : " Philosophical Transactions," vol. liii. pp. 423-425. 

 Translates part of Bohadsch's description, and copies, on Plate 

 XX., Fig. 8, one of his figures on a scale one-third the natural 

 size. This figiire has also been copied by Blainville. 



*1766. — -Pallas : " Elenchus Zoophytorum." Assigns the name Pennatula 

 quadrangular is to Bohadsch's hitherto un-named specimen. 



1786. — Ellis and Solander : " Natural History of Zoophytes," pp. 63-64. 

 Refer to Bohadsch's specimen, which appears to be the only one 

 described up to that date, under the name Pennatula antennina, 

 given it by LinuaBus. 



1844. — -Edward Forbes : " Annals and Magazine of Natural History," 

 vol. xiv., pp. 413-414. Describes the capture of the first British 

 specimens of Funiculina ; the first indeed recorded from any 

 locality other than Naples. The specimens, which were dredged 

 by Mr. MacAndrew, were obtained, " both dead and alive, in 

 twenty fathoms water, off the island of Kerrera, near Oban, the 

 bottom being mud, in which it doubtless stands erect, after the 

 manner of Virgularia." One of the specimens, 30ins. in 

 length, was exhibited at the Natural History Section of the 

 British Association at the York Meeting in 1844. 



1847. — Edward Forbes, in " Johnston's British Zoophytes," 2nd ed., 

 vol. i., pp. 164-166, mentions obtaining specimens of Funiculina, 

 the largest of them 4ft. long, in twelve to fifteen fathoms of 

 water, " near Oban, but nowhere else :" describes them as rose- 

 coloured, when living, and brilliantly phosphorescent. In vol. ii., 

 Plate XXXI., Figs. 1 — 7, he gives seven figures of Funiculina 

 from his own drawings. These, which are the only figures yet 

 published of British specimens, give a fair general idea of 

 Funiculina, but are in many respects exceedingly inaccurate. 



1851. — KoUiker : " Zeitschrift fiir wissenschaftliche Zoologie," Bd. iii., 

 p. 91, in a letter to Siebold, mentions obtaining, while in 

 Scotland, a specimen, 3ft. long, which he took back with him to 

 Wiirzburg, and which, he remarks, was probably the first specimen 

 ever seen in Germauv. 



