676 Reports on the Zoological Collections made in Torres Straits, 1888-1889. 



Ciivier (1798) was the first to recognise some distinction between the Zoanthese 

 and other Actinia, but in an indefinite sort of way; he refers to " 1. Le zoanthe 

 k cinq pdtales [Actin. diantlms) ; 2. Le zoanthe k drageons {Actin. sociata^r 



Lamarck (Systfeme, 1801) first divided the Actinse into the genera Actinia and 

 Zoantha ; he says (1801, p. 363): " ii''. genre. Zoanthe, Zoantha — Zoantha sociata, 

 Act. sociata, Sol. et Ellis, Hydra sociata, Gmel." 



Bosc (180S, p. 261) refers to " Zoanthe, Zoantha, Lam. ; Z. ellisii; Hydra sociata ; 

 Act sociata, S. & Ell." 



Cuvier, in 1817 (p. 53), speaks of Zoantlms sociatus. 



In Deshayes and Milne-Edwards' revised and augmented edition of Lamarck's 

 Hist, des anim. sans vert. (1836, 2nd ed., p. 77), three species are acknowledged: 

 "Zoanthe (Zoantha). — 1. Zoantha ellisii, Bosc {^Act. sociata, etc.); 2. Zoantha 

 solanderi, Les. ; 3. Zoantha hertholetii, Ehr." 



Dana is the only later author who adheres to Zoantha instead of Zoauthus. 

 According to the generally accepted rules of zoological nomenclature the Greek 

 av6o<; would have to be written anthiis, it being agreed that, "in writing zoologi- 

 cal names, the rules of Latin orthography must be adhered to." 



T0EEE8 STRAITS SPECIES OF THE GENUS ZOANTHUS. 



Z. coppingeri, n. sp. 



Z. juJcesii, n. sp. 



Z. macgillivrayi, n. sp. 



Zoanthus coppingeri, n. sp. 

 (PI. LXI., figs. 1, 2 ; PL Lxii., fig. 1 ; PL lxiv., figs. 1-4.) 



Form. — Body smooth, pyriform when contracted, rather elongated when ex- 

 panded. Polyps in clusters, the buds springing from the bases of the polyps 

 themselves ; coenenchyme, thin, encrusting. Tentacles, in two rows, similar. 



Colour. — Pinkish below, greenish or bright green above, sometimes entirely 

 pinkish ; always with brown streak-like spots ; disc, burnt sienna, with darker spots ; 

 rim of mouth, brown ; tentacles, gray, with a single row of black spots ; there is a 

 black spot between each tentacle, and these are continued as black Knes on the 

 capitulum. 



Dimensions. — Length of a contracted specimen, 15 mm. ; diameter of upper 

 portion, 5 mm. 



Locality. — Fringing Reef, Mabuiag. Oct. 19, 1888. Numerous specimens. 



