346 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 
Professor W. C. M‘Intosh! refers to the tough, parchment-like, 
slightly branched tubes of H. Magellanica; and he figures (fig. 28, 
p- 267) a distinctly branched tube of an unknown worm from the 
Gulf of Manaar, which is commensal with a horny sponge 
(Hircinia clathrata). 
Other examples of branched worm tubes are known to occur, 
but these will suffice for my purpose. 
Mr. W. Saville-Kent, in his magnificently illustrated book, 
“The Great Barrier Reef of Australia : its Products and Potenti- 
alities,’’ described a new form of Zoanthean which he named 
Acrozoanthus Australie. He regards it as the representative of a 
new family, on account of the polyps growing on a branched 
parchment-like tube. Mr. Saville- Kent forwarded me a specimen 
for anatomical investigation; and I found that the polyp was of 
precisely the same structure as those species of the genus Zoanthus 
which I have investigated, the differences being so small as not to 
amount to more than specific distinctions. I also stated that I 
considered it as a new species of Zoanthus, which was associated. 
with a worm-tube. In his book Mr. Saville-Kent discusses this 
point, but as he was unaware of the occurrence of branched worm- 
tubes, he considered this peculiarity as an insuperable objection to 
my view. He says: “Such an interpretation would involve the 
improvisation of a far more abnormally constituted worm than 
Zoophyte” (p. 154). 
T have seen several tubes of “ Acrozoanthus,” and all the forms — 
of branching, and the closure of some of the lateral openings can 
be paralleled among the tubes of the various species of Hunice 
referred to above. On one tube (Taf. 27, fig. 2) of H. tibiana, in 
Dr. Ehlers’ Memoir, will be seen disc-like bodies, some of which 
are represented with radiating lines. These have every appearance 
of dried and contracted specimens of a Zoanthean, possibly an 
Epizoanthus. Jf this identification is correct, other branched 
worm-tubes may be associated with Zoantheze. 
I propose therefore to abolish the genus Acrozoanthus, and to 
place Mr. Saville-Kent’s form under the genus Zoanthus, as Z. 
Australie (S.-Kent). 
1 Report on the Annelida Polycheta. Challenger Rep. vol. xii., 1885, p. 1. 
