Miscellaneous. 361 



polype-cells ; the inner part strengthened with thick, fusiform, 

 longish tubercular spicules with three or five wide, smooth, sunken 

 cross bands, separating the tubercular surface of the middle of the 

 spicules into bands respectively. The spicules in shape are like those 

 figured by Prof KoJlik'er, in his ' Icones Histiologicae,' t. 18. f. 31 & 39, 

 as found in Gorgonia setosa and G. scmguinolenta ; f . 42 & 43, Gorgo- 

 nella jpseudo-antipathes and G. granulata. 



Eusclerides cJiinensis. 



Hah. North China. B.M. 



Mr. Carter says, " The spicule is calcareous, tubercular, elliptical, 

 presenting from three to five smooth bands, or intervals without 

 tubercles, alternating with the tubercular ones, aU forming so many 

 circular rings round the central axis of the ellipse. About twice as 

 long as broad, and yJ-jj inch long. 



" There are seldom more than three smooth bands, and these may 

 be more or less irregularly disposed ; but the figure given shows the 

 average form and size of the spicules, though taken from one of 

 those which are most symmetrically formed. The whole tissue is 

 pregnant or densely charged with them. 



" The magnified surface shows the form of the pits ; the larger are 

 situated in the middle of the smaUer, cup-shaped ones. The larger 

 ones contain the animal with its eight divisions, showing the dry 

 contracted animal. In the centre of each of the smaller cups is an 

 aperture which may be an outlet for the ova, which abound in the 

 structure round the large cells. Urticating organs are also present." 



Mr. Carter has also sent me a drawing, with some interesting details 

 of the structure, of a species oi Spoggodes which was brought up from 

 the bottom of the sea oft' the south-east coast of Arabia, on a fishing- 

 hook. The coral was of a " greyish colour, more or less transparent, 

 firmly gelatinous interiorly, semicrusted with rough, fusiform calca- 

 reous spicules externally. Animal pinkish, just visible, suri'ounded 

 by a cupwork of fusiform spines, one of which is much longer than 

 the rest. Skeleton of spine- or spicule-work consisting of different- 

 sized fusiform spicules. The branches are branched, the branchlets 

 short, each ending in a spherical head of polypes more or less bristled 

 by the projecting calcareous fusiform spicules." 



The mass is large and short (5 inches each way), with very thick, 

 rather compressed, barren stems, divided above into short, thick, 

 rounded lobes, which are covered with clusters of short branches 

 ending in spherical heads of polypes. I propose to call the species, 

 which is evidently very distinct from any I have before seen, Spog- 

 godes conglomeratus. 



On the Anatomy of the Genus Gordius. By H. Geenachee. 



The singular results obtained by M. Meissner, in his anatomical re- 

 searches on the Gordiacea, have induced the energetic expression of 

 doubts on the part of several naturalists ; the conscientious work of 

 M. Grenacher ought therefore to be welcome to all. The author has 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser.4. Vol.iv. 26 



