THE SYSTEM OF PHYLLOPHORIN^E. 



§3 



sparsely scattered distribution. These have complete or incomplete 

 disk. Complete disks show four central holes and eight large 

 peripheral holes, their margin being tolerably smooth and slightly 

 wavy. Incomplete disks are of all sorts. There may exist central 

 holes only, or one or more of the peripheral holes may not be closed 

 in. In none there is a complete spire, this being represented generally 

 by four short knobs which do not unite at all. In one case, I 

 thought to have seen one cross-piece, but I am not sure of it, as I 

 could obtain the view from above only. In tentacles there are small 

 rosettes. In pedicels of some specimens there exist incomplete rosettes 

 in a greater or smaller number. 



" This species is very common on dead coral reefs near Naha, 

 Okinawa Island. It lives buried in coral sand. One great 

 characteristic of it is that it throws out viscera with the least touch, 

 making it very difficult to obtain specimens with the viscera intact. 

 Mr. Ikeda observed the same fact and remarked : ' As soon as the 

 stone under which these animals live are lifted up, they throw off 

 the viscera, even before they are touched in any way.' 



" I am much surprised that I can not identify these specimens 

 with any of the known species. I can not think that Semper and 

 others who have explored tropical or subtropical seas, did not obtain 

 these animals, for I suppose the species extends further south than 

 the Okinawa group. Not improbably it occurred among the collections 

 previously studied, but has remained mixed up with some others in 

 the present chaotic state of the species of the genera Orcula, 

 Phyllophorus, Thyonidium, &c. 



" I name this provisionally Phyllophorus fragili s. If the genus 

 Orcula is to be retained, I suppose the species should be placed in 

 that genus ; but it seems to me that Orcula is only a special case of 

 Phyllophoms and I am inclined to agree with ÖSTERGREN in merging 

 it into PJiyllophonts (ÖSTERGREN 1898, p. 103, footnote)." 



The results of my own observations on the specimens examined 



