Miscellaneous. 227 



crease in thickness of this corallite being made up by the increased 

 size of the non-septate interior. For this larger species I would 

 propose the name EthmophyUum Whitneyi, in honour of Prof. J. D. 

 Whitney, to whom I am indebted for the use of the specimens. 



Of the other species I have seen but a single specimen, which is 

 imperfect at both extremities, about 2*15 inches in length, and only 

 about 0-20 inch in diameter at the larger end, and 0-15 at the 

 smaller, with some 24 to 28 septa. In addition to its much more 

 slender form, it differs from the other species in having its septa so 

 strongly waved laterally as almost to divide the interseptal spaces 

 into cells, nearly to the outer wall. For this, if it should prove 

 to be a distinct species, I would propose the name EthmophyUum 

 graeile. 



The specimens were all obtained at Silver Peak, Nevada, and 

 were discovered by Mr. Clayton. — Sillimaii's American Journal, Jan- 

 uary, 1868. 



Note on the Polymorphism of the Anthozoa and the Structure of the 

 Tubiporse. By A. Kollikek. 



The polymorphism of individuals, so remarkable among the Aca- 

 lephae, has had nothing corresponding to it among the other Coelen- 

 terata ; it is therefore a very unexpected discovery that M. Kol- 

 liker has lately made, of a true polymorphism in various genera of 

 Anthozoa Alcyonaria. This polymorphism consists in the existence, 

 besides the large individuals capable of taking nourishment and 

 furnished with generative organs, of other, smaller, asexual indivi- 

 duals, which appear essentially to preside over the introduction of 

 sea-water into the organism, and then over its expulsion, and which 

 are perhaps at the same time the seat of an excrementitial secretion. 

 Like the others, these asexual individuals possess a body-cavity 

 divided into chambers by eight septa, and a pyriform stomach with 

 two orifices. On the other hand they are entirely destitute of ten- 

 tacles ; and instead of the eight ordinary mesenteric filaments there 

 are only two, supported upon two consecutive septa. The cavity of 

 the body of these individuals is always in communication with that 

 of the sexual individuals ; but the mode in which this communication 

 is effected is liable to vary with the genera. 



We may distingaiish two types in the mode of distribution of the 

 asexual individuals apon the polyparies. In the first they are distri- 

 buted in great abundance over the whole polypigerous region of the 

 polypary, among the sexual individuals. This is the case in certain 

 Alcyonids which M. KoUiker refers to the genus Sarcophyton, and 

 also in Veretillum, Litiiaria, Cavermilaria, and Sarcobelemnon. In 

 the second case the asexual individuals are restricted to certain per- 

 fectly definite places, which, however, are variable according to the 

 genera. Thus in certain species of Pteroeides they occur on the 

 lower surface of the pennate leaves of the region serving for attach- 

 ment, in the form of a larger or smaller plate ; in other species of 

 the same genus they are also found at the apex of the polypary ; in 



