82 VEEEILL, SYNOPSIS OF 



raphy, the name of this genus should be Sjpongodes (or 

 jSpongodia) not Sjpoggodes, or Sjpoggodia.* 



CORNULAEID^. 



Telesto eamiculosa Yenill (Vol. IV, p. 194),= 

 Telesco ramuJosa Gray, op, cit., p. 22. 



Telesto? nodosa Yerrill (1. c), = Telescella nodosa 

 Gray, op. cit., jd. 22. 



Dr. Gray has proposed for this doubtful species the 

 subgenus, Telescella, based on its jDcculiarmode of branch- 

 ing. This appears quite unnecessary, especially until the 

 species is better known . 



A microscopic examination of one of the original speci- 

 mens recently received from the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology shoAvs that, in all probability, it does not belong 

 to the Alcyonaria, since there are no spicula whatever. 

 When treated with caustic potash the tubes are seen to 

 consist of an amorphous membranous basis, with various 

 foreign substances — minute grains of sand, Foraminiferse, 

 Diatoms, etc., — imbedded in it, the annulations of the 

 tubes being thicker ridges of the amorphous material, 

 which is insoluble, or nearly so, in caustic potash. In 

 some parts there are minute, nearly spherical, nucleated 

 cells, either scattered, or closely grouped in a single layer. 



The condition of the specimens does not admit a reli- 

 able determination of their nature. They may be tubes 

 of some annelid, or small crustacean, since many genera 

 of Amphipods, like Cerapus, make similar tubes. 



There appears to be no sufficient reason for Dr. Gray's 

 change in the spelling of this generic name, 



* See Section 14 of the Kules of Zoological nomenclature adopted 

 by the British Association, 1865; also reprinted in the American Jour- 

 nal of Science, July, 1869. 



