140 



MEDITERRANEAN PROVINCE. 



The genus Antipathes has several species in the 

 Western Mediterranean ; of these, A. subpinnata 

 is also Lusitanian. In the Canaries it attains a foot 

 and a half in height, being much beyond its Medi- 

 terranean growth. Gorgonice, too, are numerous, 

 though it may be well doubted whether all the 

 reputed species rest on sufficient characters; some, 

 such as G. placomus, ceratophyta, and coralloides, 

 are common to the Atlantic. G. tuberculoid 

 attains a great size in the Gulf of Genoa and off 

 the Corsican coast, with a stem several inches in 

 diameter. It is somewhat curious that Ed. Forbes 

 did not meet with a single specimen of Gorgonia 

 in all his iEgean researches. 



There is a small Gorgonian Zoophyte, which is 

 found attached to the so-called White Coral of the 

 Neapolitan seas (Oculina), for which M. Philippi has 

 proposed the name of Berbyce. 



The Gorgonice seem to set the laws of geo- 

 graphical distribution at defiance : there are certain 

 species which are said to be common to the Indian 

 Ocean, the Mediterranean, and to both sides of the 

 Atlantic ; as many as six, however, which are found 

 about the Canaries, are admitted by M. D'Orbigny 

 as also Mediterranean. 



The Pennatulce, or Sea-pens, though local, are 

 varied and numerous. P. phosphorea extends into 

 our British seas, the other Mediterranean species 

 are also Atlantic. Captain Spratt found two forms 



