276 PEOF. MAE SHALL AND ME. Q. H. EOWLEE ON THE 





a. 



b. 



c. 



!Leno - th. of colony 



88 



90 



82 



Length, of stalk ... 



26 



34 



29 



Length of feather 



62 



56 



53 



Width of feather ....... 



53 



53 



45 



Width of rachis, ventral surface . . . 



15 



14 



10 



Distance apart of lowest leaves 



10 



9 



9 





13 



10 



12 





21+5 rud. 



24+7 rud. 



21 +4 rud. 





13 



14 



10 





24 



28 



21 



Base of attachment of largest leaf. . . 



5 



5 



45 





16 



16 



13 





2-5-4 



2-25 



25 



Pt. Espeei, var. /3. (Plate XXIII. figs. 14, 15.) 



The three specimens of this form are chiefly characterized by the 

 soft flabby condition of the rachis and leaves, the latter being thin, 

 almost membranous, and twisted about in a very irregular fashion, 

 as shown in fig. 14. It is very possible, however, that this flabbiness 

 may be, at least in part, an accidental or temporary condition, 

 and it would be well not to attach much weight to it. In other 

 respects these specimens are in many ways intermediate between 

 the preceding variety and Pt. chinense. In relative proportions 

 of feather and stalk, and of length and width of the feather, as 

 also in the number of rays in the leaves, and the marked notching 

 of their margin, they closely resemble Pt. Esperi, var. a ; while, 

 on the other hand, they differ from this, and approach Pteroeides 

 chinense, in the shape of the leaves, and in the size, shape, and 

 other characters of the zooid plate. They differ from both these 

 forms in the much greater extent to which the dorsal surface of 

 the rachis is exposed, but this is very possibly to be associated 

 with the generally flabby condition of the specimens. The prin- 

 cipal measurements of variety /3 are as follows : — 



Length of colony 120 mm. 



Length of stalk 38 



Length of feather 84 



Width of feather 57 



Width of rachis, ventral surface 18 



Distance apart of lowest leaves 5 



Diam. of stalk, average 15 



Number of leaves 23 + 5 rud. 



