32 DR. J. E, GRAY ON THE CLAVIFORM SEA-PENS. [Feb. 11, 



which are described as characteristic of Cavemularia and Sarcobe- 

 lemnon. Can the septa between these cells have been considered as 

 the rudimentary axis ? 



Veretillxjm. 



The pen club-shaped, with a short, thick, fleshy base ; the upper 

 part of the club short and thick, or more or less tapering, covered 

 with close longitudinal rows of polypes ; the interspaces between the 

 polypes marked with very close, opake, imbedded granules ; the 

 opening of the polype-cells, when contracted, transverse ; the middle 

 of the coral furnished with four quadrangular tubes, and without any 

 hard central axis. 



1. VeRETILLUM CYNOMORIXJM. 



Veretillum cynomorium, Pallas, Spic. Zool. t. 13. f. 1-4. 



We have a single specimen of this species in the British Museum, 

 which I believe is the specimen described by Ellis, on the Sea-Pens, 

 as Cynomorium (Phil. Trans. 1765, vol. liii. 434, t. 13. f. 3) ; for 

 it has the label on it, written by my late uncle who died in 1806, 

 like the label on the specimen of Siren which was presented by 

 Ellis. It certainly has no appearance of any hard central axis, un- 

 less the rather hard septa between the central cells may be considered 

 as an axis ; if they are, then the same kind of axis is found in each 

 of the other species which 1 have referred to this genus. 



2. Veretillum Australasia. 



Sarcobelemnon australasice, Gray, Ann. and Mag. N. H. v. 1860, 

 24, t. 4. f. I. 



The polypes far apart. 



Hab. Australia; Port Essington {J. B. Jukes, Esq.). 



This specimen chiefly differs from the F. cantoi^ice in the substance 

 of the coral being harder, and in the cells of the polypes being fur- 

 ther apart and more scattered, not appearing to be placed in such 

 regular and close longitudinal rows. The specimen seems to have 

 been placed in very strong spirits when first collected, as almost all 

 the polypes are retracted, and the base of the club is wrinkled, as 

 if strongly contracted, and the cavities in the axis are smaller ; but 

 all this may have been produced by the sudden and great contraction 

 of the animal at the time it was preserved. 



3. Veretillum cantori^e. 



Cells of polypes close together, in regular longitudinal series. 

 Hab. Penang {Dr. Cantor). 



We have a large series of specimens of this species from Penang, 

 where, I am told, they are collected for food. They differ exceed- 

 ingly from each other ; and if they are all of the same species, as I 

 suspect is the case, it shows how difficult it is to give a character 

 that shall define the species of the genus. Some are short, thick, 

 oblong, rounded at each end, varying from 2^ to 3 inches long, with 



