V. '07. 19 



FAMILY FUNICULINIDAE. 



Funiculina quadrangularis (Pall.). 



Three young specimens of this species were obtained, one at 

 S.R, 331, Lat., N., 51 35' 30" ; Long., W., 12 26' ; 500-520 

 fms. ; bottom temperature, 9*2 C. ; 10th May, 1906 ; and two 

 broken specimens at S.R, 335. Lat., N., 51 12' 30" 51 17' 

 30"; Long., W., 12 18' 12 15'; 893-673 fms.; 12th May, 

 1906. The unbroken specimen measures 437 mm. in length. 

 The largest autozooids reach a length of 3-4 mm. and are well 

 supplied with spicules. Spicules are also present in the ten- 

 tacles. This abundant spiculation is characteristic of young 

 specimens of F '. quadrangularis. Grieg (1896) and Jungersen 

 (1904) point out that the presence of spicules in this species is 

 very variable, but that the number of spicules is smaller the 

 larger the specimen. In fully developed colonies the tentacles 

 are usually free from spicules. The same writers have shown 

 that the Leptoptilum gracilis of Kolliker (1880) is merely a 

 young stage ofF. quadrangularis. 



The Irish specimens, although reaching a considerable 

 length, still differ very much in appearance from the adult. 



Funiculina quadrangularis has .been recorded from many 

 places both on the eastern and western sides of the North 

 Atlantic, from the Mediterranean, off New Zealand (as 

 Leptoplilum gracilis) and in the Bay of Bengal (Thomson and 

 Henderson, 1906). 



FAMILY ANTHOPTILIDAE. 



Benthoptilum sertum, Ve.rrill, 

 PL I. 



S.R, 363. Lat., N., 51 22'; Long., W., 12 0'; 695-720 

 fms. ; temperature at 600 fms., 7'92 C. ; 10th August, 

 1906. 



A single specimen of a beautiful Pennatulid was obtained 

 which seems to be identical with that figured by Verrill (1883) 

 and described by him two years later in the American Journal 

 of Science under the name of Benthoptilum sertum. 



The genus Benthoptilum closely resembles Anthoptilum in 

 many points, but differs from it in having the autozooids ar- 

 ranged in large, oblique clusters on the rachis, and not in 

 single rows as in the latter genus. These clusters consist of 

 numerous rows of autozooids, which meet on the ventral 

 (called " dorsal " in the original description) side of the rachis, 

 completely hiding its surface. There are six pairs of these 

 groups of autozooids in the Irish specimen. The autozooids 



