1894] 



OF THE FAMILY VEEETLLLID^. 



377 



Speci men 



Total length 



Length of rhachis 



Length of stalk 



Breadth of rhachis at centre : 



longest diameter 1 



shortest diameter 1 



Breadth of stalk, upper end : 



longest diameter 



shortest diameter 



1 



2 



3 



4 



5 



6 



50 



56 



46 



56 



59 



50 



39 



44 



37 



42 



47 



37 



11 



12 



9 



14 



12 



13 



29 



26 



28 



26 



29 





21 





13 









7 



8 



6 



8 



7 



6 



5 



5 



4-5 



6 



6 



4 



The autozooids were very well expanded in all the specimens, 

 and the colony was therefore also presumably in a state of dis- 

 tension ; this may perhaps be attributable to gradual death, as their 

 label stated that they had been " washed ashore in large quantities." 

 I have seen similar distension in washed-up specimens oiAlcyonium. 



The only traces of colour remaining were (1) in the upper half 

 or two-thirds of the autozooids (exclusive of the tentacles) ; these 

 are of a dark purple tint, the exact seat of which is the upper 

 part of the mesenteries ; (2) on the surface of the rhachis of some 

 specimens, in which the surface of the ccenosarc is of a rich 

 reddish brown. 



The most expanded autozooids are about 10 mm. in length and 

 are entirely devoid of spicules. No calyx of spicules appears 

 round their bases, such as occurs in some forms. They are set 

 more closely together than in any Cavemularia with which I am 

 acquainted, — so closely that in most specimens no siphonozooids 

 could be seen without carefully parting the autozooids ; generally 

 they stand about 1 mm. or less apart, but in fig. 2 I have drawn part 

 of an inflated specimen in which they stand about 1*5 mm. apart. 



The siphonozooids, as will appear from this figure, are of various 

 size ; they stand out against the dark ccenosarc as brilliant white 

 ovals (the stomodaea) from which radiate white lines (their mes- 

 enteries) ; they are not surrounded by prominent calyces of 

 spicules. In section they showed the usual eight mesenteries and 

 an enormous ventral groove or siphonoglyphe. At the junction of 

 rhachis and stalk is a ring of siphonozooids, without interspersed 

 autozooids, about 1-2 mm. in breadth. 



The rhachis, as will be seen from the dimensions of specimens 

 1 and 3, is slightly compressed. The stalk is considerably com- 

 pressed in the same plane (spec. 1-6) ; both flattened surfaces 

 exhibit a deep median furrow, which commences at the ring of 

 siphonozooids just mentioned, and is continued nearly to the base 

 (tip) of the stalk. Lesser longitudinal furrows were irregular and 

 apparently the result of shrinkage. 



Two specimens were opened in order to obtain the axis. In 

 the one case this was in two fragments : the upper end of one 



1 Given only in specimens which have not obviously been crushed in packing. 



