494 Mr. R. Kirkpatrick on Oculinaria australis. 



EXPLANATION OP PLATES XIIL & XIV. 



The figures, except those of the antennae, give an enlarged view of the 

 head and anterior margin of the prothorax, from above, the head in some 

 cases being also shown from in front (ligs. 11 «, 15 a) or in profile 

 (tigs. 19 a, 33a). They are all diagrammatic, it being impossible to 

 indicate the complicated structure in one figure. The antennae are shown 

 from above, 16a from beneath. The explanation of the figures of the 

 species illustrited on the two Plates is given under each insect in the text. 

 All are taken from cf J . 



XLIX. — On the Discover]/ of the missing Type Spt'cimen of 

 the Ascidian Oculinaiia australis, Gray. By \i. KlRK- 

 PATllICK. 



(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



The type — and, until 1918, tlie only known specimen — of 

 Oculinaria australis^ Gray, lias been missing for over filty 

 years. The unique specimen, preserved in spirit, was 

 presented to the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) by Dr. Bower- 

 bank, and was described by Gray in 1868 (P. Z. S. 1868, 

 p. 564), a text-figure of only a portion being given. Gray's 

 description is as follows: — " Tiie mass is cylindrical, about 

 8 inches long and 1^ inch in diameter in spirits. It is white, 

 with ends rather tapering and rounded. It entirely consists 

 of a large number of more or less oblong cysts, placed closely 

 side by side on every side of an imaginary central axis, the 

 cysts covering the ends of the mass like the rest of the body. 

 The cysts are hard, cartilaginous, rather convex externally, 

 with two concavities having an opening at the base of eacii. 

 . . . The outer surface of the cyst is covered with a thick 

 hard skin, strengthened externally with embedded particles of 

 sand " 



Nothing more was heard of Oculinaria till 1886, wlien 

 Herdman'^ placed the genus in his family Polystyelidse ; 

 but, Vv'hen examining the Tunicata in the British Museum, 

 he was unable to see the type of 0. australis, because it 

 could not be found. 



Later, Michaelsen and Hartmeyer had wished to see this 

 specimen in order to gain some knowledge of the affinities 

 of the genus ; but they, also, were disappointed. Gray's 

 diagnosis was wholly based on external character;*, and no 



* ' Challenger ' Tunicata, part ii. p. 323. 



