Miscellaneous. 24o 



transition between this group and that of the Monimieae, to which 

 they likewise approximate the Calycantheae through Chionanthus, and 

 indirectly the Magnoliacese through the Trochodendrese. A branch 

 of Eupomatia which is about to flower swells at its apex into a little 

 club, which becomes concave above and gradually undergoes all the 

 changes of form which are observed in the receptacle of a fig. From 

 the aperture at the bottom of this receptacular sac, the pieces of the 

 andrcecium and gynaecium appear successively in a spiral order. 



Hitherto that conical hood which detaches itself circularly at the 

 moment of anthesis has been regarded as a perianth, produced by the 

 fusion of the sepals and petals. The study of its development proves 

 that this sac is produced as a single leaf in the form of a crescent, and 

 that it remains long open on one side. It is a sort of amplexicaul 

 bract, following, in the spiral order, the much narrower bracts which 

 are inserted upon the peduncular portion of the branch. This is a 

 demonstration of the axial nature of the portion of the flower of 

 Eupomatia which remains basilar. The last of the modified leaves 

 of this dilated branch (that which is inserted at the level of the 

 margin of the receptacle) becomes inordinately developed, in order to 

 fulfil the function of the perianth, which is wanting; and, like many 

 other cauline leaves of plants allied to this, it finally becomes detached, 

 in the direction of the base of the axis upon which it was borne. — 

 Comptes Rendus, July 27, 1868, p. 250. 



Note on Ehizocrinus lofotensis. 



Prof. Louis Agassiz, in a note to Count Pourtales's paper entitled 

 " Contributions to the Fauna of the Gulf-Stream at Great Depths," 

 observes that the Crinoid that Count Pourtales had called Bourgueti- 

 erinus Hotessieri, from great depths in the Gulf of Mexico, is evi- 

 dently the same as Prof. Sars's Ehizocrinus lofotensis from the coast 

 of Norway. He further observes that it is highly probable that 

 Lophohdia affinis of Count Pourtales, from Florida, is identical with 

 L. proiifera from the northernmost coast of Europe, to which it has 

 very likely been transported by the Gulf-stream. 



Quoy and Gaimard's Species of Corals. 



A considerable number of species of Alcyonia are figured and 

 shortly described by MM. Quoy and Gaimard, in the ' Voyage of the 

 Astrolabe.' From the official report on the collection made at the 

 time, and from the Expedition having been a Government Expedi- 

 tion, I had believed that the specimens on which these species are 

 founded would be in the collection of the Jardin des Planter. 

 Though MM. Milne-Edwards and Haime mention the species in their 

 work on the Corals, the account of them is copied from Quoy and 

 Gaimard's work, and no reference is made showing that the specimens 

 have been seen or examined. It is to be hoped that they have not 

 been lost to science, more especially as Quoy and Gaimard's descrip- 

 tions are short and sometimes do not contain particulars of the spe- 

 cies (as spicules &c.) that are represented on the plates. — J. E. Gkat. 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 4. Vol. in. 18 



