﻿ix. d. 3 Light: Notes on Philippine Alcyonaria 237 



Q. and G. (including Ammothea digitatum May) , both previously 

 placed by him in the genus Lithophytum, and a new species P. 

 churned, thereby further clearing up the situation in the genus 

 Lithophytum. He diagnoses the new genus Paralemnalia as 

 follows : 



Die von einer gemeinsamen Basis entspringenden glatten sehr rigiden und 

 zerbrechlichen Hauptstiimme sind nicht weiter verzweigt, hochstens konnen 

 sie sich gabeln. Die Polypen sitzen direkt an diesen Hauplstammen, und 

 zwar stets einzeln, niemals in "Bundel," "Biischel" oder "Katzchen" vereint, 

 die Polypen sind retraktil, und ihr unterster Teil kann mehr oder wenig 

 deutlich zu einem Kelch umgebildet sein. Die Kanalwande sind diinn, aber 

 dicht erfiillt mit einem Netzwerk spindelformiger Spicula. In ihrer Gestalt 

 schliessen sich die Spicula der verschiedenen Regionen an die von Lemnalia 

 an. Verbreitung; Indopazifischer Ozean, in flachem Wasser. 



This new genus has for its type species Ammothea thrysoides 

 Ehrbg. which Gray (1868) placed together with Ammothea 

 (Alcyonium) ramosa (Q. and G.) in his new genus Verrilliana. 

 His diagnosis of this, as of so many other genera, Lemnalia for 

 example, was not only incomplete but incorrect, and was ignored 

 by subsequent workers. In the case of Lemnalia, although the 

 description was incorrect, the species described, including the 

 type species (that is, the first one named, as no type was de- 

 signated), did belong to a distinct genus, and Bourne when he 

 revised the genus retained Gray's name, Lemnalia. In the case 

 of Verrilliana, however, of the two species named as belong- 

 ing to the genus, Ammothea ramosa was given first and is, 

 therefore, since no type was named, the type species of the 

 genus. This form, however, is undoubtedly a species of the 

 older genus Ammothea (now Lithophytum), and thus the name 

 Verrilliana, the type species having been removed or rather re- 

 turned to another genus, becomes a homonym. This, together 

 with the very poor diagnosis, would seem to afford ample reason 

 for dropping the name Verrilliana. 



Kiikenthal speaking of this point says: 



Est ist mir daher ganz unmoglich, den namen Verrilliana fur die von mir 

 aufgestellte Gattung wieder zu verwenden, urn so mehr als Gray ausser der 

 A. thyrsoides auch noch das Lithophytum arbor eum (Q. and G.) zu seiner 

 neuen Gattung rechnete. 



Beide Arten haben aber nicht das geringste miteinander zu tun, * * *. 



He evidently refers here to Alcyonium ramosa of Quoy and 

 Gaimard, which Gray gave as the first species of his genus 

 Verrilliana, as I find no references to Lithophytum arboreum 

 (Q. and G.), and Lithophytum arboreum, the type species of 

 the genus Lithophytum, was named by Forskal. In either case, 

 Kiikenthal is eminently correct in finding no resemblance be- 



