VIIKtULAUIA MIli.VHIMS. 58 



From this Glasgow specimen, which will be more fully described 

 further on, the upper part of Fif». 1 has been drawn; i.e., tlie racliis 

 with its leaves of polypes. The stalk in this fij^ure is copied from a 

 figure given by Dalyell, and is indicated with dotted lines, as we have 

 not ourselves had an opportunity of seeing it. 



The almost invariable mutilation which specimens of Virfiiilaria 

 undergo is certainly a point of great interest, more especially as it does 

 not appear to affect either of the two allied genera, FtaiicuUna and 

 Peniuitttht, which are found living side by side with it, and may be 

 brought up in the same haul of the dredge. We shall return to this 

 point further on. 



The polypes, as already noticed, are fused together to form leaves, 

 and these leaves are placed in pairs along the whole length of the rachis 

 (Fig. 1) ; the leaves in the middle of the rachis being further apart, 

 and also rather larger than those at the two ends, but the difference in 

 size being altogether insignificant in comparison with what occurs in 

 Pennatida {cf. PI. IH., Fig. 1). 



As in the two other genera, we distinguish in the I'achis dorsal and 

 ventral surfaces, the latter (Fig. 4) characterised by being bare and 

 free from polypes along its whole length. 



Imbedded in the rachis at the bases of the leaves are the zooids or 

 rudimentary polypes, shown in Fig. 5 e. 



The soft parts of ]'irguliiria, contrary to what occurs in Ftmiculina 

 and Pennatula, are completely destitute of spicules, calcification being 

 limited to the axial rod or stem. 



Anatomical Description. 



I.— The Stalk aiid Rachii<.— 



The stalk (Fig. 1, b), as we have seen, is not present in any of the 

 Oban specimens. From the descriptions and figures given by Dalyell,* 

 K6lliker,f and Sars,J: it appears that in the few specimens in which it 

 has been preserved the stalk is cylindrical, with a slightly bulbous 

 extremity; the dilated part, asinPeH;;ff<i//a, having much thinnerwalls 

 than the rest. 



The stalk is described as of considerable length, very much longer 

 relatively to the whole colony than is the case in Funiculina. Dalyell 

 figures a specimen in which the stalk is 8Jin. long ; * and both Dalyell 

 and KbUiker agree in representing the lower end of the stalk as bent 

 up in the manner we have indicated in Fig. 1. 



The longitudinal canals of the rachis are prolonged down the stalk, 

 according to KoUiker. In its upper part there are four main canals — 

 dorsal, ventral, and two lateral ; but in the lower part the lateral canals 

 disappear, and the dorsal and ventral alone remain. 



* Dalyell : oj). cit.. Plate XLIII., Fig. 7. t Kolliker : op. cit, Tat. XV., FiR. 101. 

 ; Sars : " Fauna littoralis Norvetjiie." 



