44 Neiv Species of Bryozoa from the Marion Islands, 



first I was inclined to place the present species in the 

 genus Elzerina* of Lamouroux ; but the description of that 

 genus so closely resembles that of Busk's Farciminariaj- 

 that it could not be used for forms without an aperture 

 surrounded by a raised border, and as Lamouroux and Busk 

 make this character important as generic, the erection of a 

 new genus under the name of Malakosaria would appear to 

 be warranted. 



Family Vinculariad^e, Busk. 



Genus Vincularia, Defrance. 



Vincularia steganoporoides, n. sp. Plate II.; Fig. 5. 



Zoarium octagonal, branching dichotomously ; cells in 

 linear series, alternate, quadrate, depressed, bounded by 

 thin, smooth, raised lines ; mouth at distal end, sloping 

 forward above, much depressed below, round above, nearly 

 straight below ; surface of cell finely granular ; an oval 

 opening on each side below the mouth ; the whole surface 

 closely invested by a thin chitinous membrane. 



Locality. — Marion Islands. " Challenger" Expedition. 



This species is specially interesting just now as serving 

 to show some of the difficulties in the way of accepting 

 the proposal of Dr. Hincks, previously alluded to, to place 

 Bryozoa of this description in separate families, according 

 to the character of the cell. This species in general appear- 

 ance closely resembles V. elegans, D'Orb; V. ornata, Busk; 

 and V. neozelanica, Busk. The last two Dr. Hincks would 

 place with the true Membraniporidce. There is certainly 

 a membranous covering on the cells of the present species ; 

 but, unlike the Membraniporce, the operculum is distinct, 

 and is not formed by a lap of the investing membrane. At 

 first glance the cell looks as if it ought to be placed in the 

 genus Steganoporella of Hincks, having the two orifices just 

 below the mouth characteristic of that genus ; but these are 

 not openings into internal divisions as in Steganoporella. 

 After removal of the membranous covering by incineration, 



* Hist, des Polyp. Cor. flex., 1816, p. 122. 



f It is strange that Mr. Busk should have overlooked the genus Elzerina, 

 provided by Lamouroux for Bryozoa having soft cylindrical unarticulated 

 branches, with a type of cell similar to that of Salicornaria, Cuvier. It 

 would almost seem necessary to abandon the name Farciminaria in favour 

 of that of Elzerina. 



