Kirkpatrick — Hyclroida and Polyzoa, Torres Straits. 617 



The saving clause " in this particular instance " is used ad- 

 visedly, since it is not possible to say, in other instances, whether 

 any particular species of Cribrilina is related to any particular 

 form of recent Membranipora. 



It might be urged that if Cribrilina {Hiantopora) ferox is- 

 " brought back " to Membranipora, Membranipora radicifera should 

 logically be relegated to Beania, since, in the disjunct arrange- 

 ment of the zooecia, in the presence of radical tubes, and the 

 elevation of the oral end of the zooecia, M. radicifera shows 

 evident traces of its origin from a form possessing the characters 

 of Beania. 



In spite of these traces of its ancestry, M. radicifera now 

 possesses Membraniporidan characters that cannot be claimed for 

 Beania ; and if Cribrilina ferox, Mac Gillivray, possessing Cribri- 

 linidan characters, has thus appeared to belong to a higher group, 

 the appearance of the closely related form M. radicifera, var. 

 intermedia, necessitates the removal of the former to a lower 

 group. 



Distribution. — M. radicifera, Bass's Straits, Port Phillip 

 Heads. 



M. radicifera, var. intermedia, Murray Island, Torres Straits, 

 15-20 fms. 



If. radicifera, var. ferox, Port Phillip Heads. 



Fossil. — Aldinga, Mount Gambier, Bairnsdale (Waters). 



Schizoporella auriculata, Hassall. 



? Schizoporella lata, Mac Gillivray. 



A minute circular avicularium is situated below the sinus of 

 the orifice. 



Oral spines, usually present in this species, do not occur on the 

 specimen. The marks for muscular attachment on the opercula 

 are more prominent in British specimens. 



Habitat. — Murray Island, 15-20 fms. 



Lepralia acanthina, Quoy & Gairnard. 



(PI. xvi., fig. 6.) 



Flustre epineuse, Flustra acanthina, Quoy & Gaimard. Voyage 

 de l'Uranie, 1824. " Zoologie," p. 605, PI. LXXXIX., figs. 1, 2. 



