144 Rev. T. Hincks's Contributions towards a 



following must be inserted: — ^^ Avicularia elongate-oval, 

 rather large, the mandible rounded, irregularly distributed, 

 sometimes placed obliquely above the orifice, sometimes on 

 the lower part of the front wall." 



Ibid. (p. 280). 



Schizoporella biturrita, sp. n. 



Waters identifies this form with Eschai'a tuherosa, Reuss. 

 As I have not had an opportunity of consulting the work in 

 which the latter is described, I accept the identification on his 

 authority. The leading features of the species are the tower- 

 like elevations on each side of the orifice, usually bearing 

 avicularia, and the gigantic umbonate ocEcium. The position 

 of the avicularia, as Waters has remarked, is variable ; com- 

 monly they are placed at the back of the "tower," but 

 frequently at the sides, the pointed mandible directed 

 upward. In the cells bearing ocecia the orifice is larger and 

 has a wider sinus than in those which are not ovicelligerous. 

 The oral arch of the ooecium is remarkable for its size. 



The variety in which lateral offsets from the " towers " 

 unite so as to form a bridge over the orifice is much more 

 striking than significant. The structural change is very 

 slight and trivial, though it affects materially the aspect of 

 the species. In all essential characters it agrees entirely with 

 the normal form. 



The only specimen of the variety which I possess is from 

 Africa. 



At one time I was inclined to regard this species as identical 

 with Busk's " GepIiT^rophora poli/niorpha " (' Challenger ' Rep. 

 p. 167), but the examination of specimens from New Zealand 

 has shown that there are most important differences between 

 them, especially in the position and structure of the ooecium*. 

 It need hardly be pointed out that the bridge across the 

 orifice is a character of no generic significance and that the 

 genus Gephyrcphora must be abandoned. 



The New-Zealand specimens of the latter are of small size 

 (less than half an inch in height), erect in habit, the stems 

 cylindrical, slightly branched, trifid at the upper extremity, 

 the surface smooth and somewhat glossy. The small pointed 

 avicularia are borne on the summit of the lateral elevations, 

 the mandible directed outwards. 



* Waters, * Challenger ' Supplement, p. 29. 



