[XVI.] 



THE HYDROZOA, SCYPHOZOA, AOTINOZOA, 

 AND VERMES OF FUNAFUTI. 



BY THOMAS WHITELEGGE, 

 Zoologist, Australian Museum. 



THE collection has provided material for much work, and the re- 

 sults obtained are of considerable interest; they may be summarised 

 as follows : There are only two Hydroid Zoophytes in the collec- 

 tion, both of which prove to be new species, i.e., Thuiaria divergens 

 and Plumularia clavicula. The latter is of unusual interest, in- 

 asmuch as it exhibits characters of rare occurrence in the group. 

 The apices of the branches are modified into tendrils, and the 

 corbulse are of a very primitive type, having a slightly modified 

 hydrotheca at the base of each costa. 



The Hydrocorallines are represented by four species of Mille- 

 pores : Millepora squarrosa, var. incrassata, Dana ; M. platyphylla, 

 Ehr. ; M. nodosa, Esper. ; and M. tortuosa, Dana. 



Of the order Siphonophora, there is only one representative, i.e., 

 Physalia megalista, Lamk., of which there are numerous examples. 

 These have been carefully examined and compared with local 

 material and also with specimens of Physalia utriculus, Eschscholtz. 



Attention is called to the occurrence of secondary tentacles in 

 the basal groups of cormidia in both species ; a character which 

 has hitherto escaped observation. The specimens from Funafuti 

 and numerous local examples, both living and preserved, have 

 been utilized with a view to render their identification less diificult 

 in the future. In order to accomplish this, the pneumatophore 

 was carefully measured, the colour noted, and the number of 

 appendages counted. The results of an examination of thirty-four 

 specimens are given in tabular form, from which it will be seen 

 that the two forms are very distinct. 



The class Scyphozoa is represented by two species Aurelia 

 clausa, Lesson ; and Phyllorhiza orithyia, Haeckel. 



Of Actinozoa there are six species in the collection, three of 

 which are herein described as new, one belonging to the order 



