Miscellaneous. 409 



the south of La Cassidague. Alciionium palmatum is found to the 

 east of lliou, at 90 and 100 metres, in a very fine muddy sand. The 

 s])ecimens belong to the pedunculate form of the muddy bottoms ; 

 the tissues, however, are denser. Among the Pennatulids we no 

 longer meet with Pteroides griseum : Pennatula rubra and P. jylios- 

 phorea alone persist. Some individuals approach the variety Pen- 

 natula phospliorea aculeata. A variety of Glavularia crassa some- 

 times occurs. 



It may be as well to remark, in conclasion, that this list, although 

 including fifteen species, does not contain all the Alcyonaria indi- 

 cated in the Mediterranean. Hitherto we have obtained only frag- 

 ments of Moi)sen elonr/ata in the great depths, and we have not yet 

 seen upon our shores Virr/idarla, Fiinicidina, KoplwheJemnoa, or, 

 lastly, StylobelemnoH pusiUus, which, however, issues from the 

 Mediterranean, and occurs iu the Bay of Biscay. — Comptes llendus, 

 April 5, lb82, p. l»8o. 



Alteration of Generic Names. 



We have been requested to publish the following alterations of 

 the names of certain genera recently proposed in Capt. Broun's 

 ' Manual of New-Zealand Coleoptera' *, they having been previously 

 used either in that order or in other branches of zoology. 



Melanochroa for Cydomorpha. 

 Geochus for Geophilvs. 

 Phorostichus for Pachi/odon. 

 Dermothrius for Pachypeza. 

 Bydora for Pachycephala, 

 Inosomus for Stenopus. 

 Priates for Priatelus. 

 Mcthemns for Capnodcs. 

 Acrantus for Homarus. 

 Incentia for Tndecentia. 



On the Development of the Ganglion and of the '■'■Ciliated Sac " in 

 the Bud of Pyrosoma. By M. L. Joliet. 



The organ in the Ascidia known as the vihratile pit, the anterior 

 tubercle, the olfactory organ, or the ciliated sac consists altogether, 

 as is well known, not only of a vihratile cavity, but also of a canal 

 which follows on it and loses itself, as was first shown by M. de 

 Lacaze-Duthiers, in a glandular mass subjacent to the nervous 

 ganglion. 



An olfactory function has generally been ascribed to tliis organ ; 

 nevertheless various hypotheses have been advanced as to its nature ; 



* This work waa reviewed in the 'Aunals' for May 1881, p. 412. — Ep. 



