224 K. KINOSIIITA : ON THE KEROEII >ID.E, A NEW FAMILY OF 



einander verbinden, einmünden. Die Polypen differenziren in 

 einen warzig vorspringenden Kelchtheil, in den sich der vor- 

 dere, tentakeltragende Abschnitt vollkommen retrahiren kann." 

 The family Suberogorgiida: in the Alcyonarian collection of the 

 Zoological Institute, Science College, is represented by a pretty large 

 number of specimens belonging to one or the other of the two genera 

 referred to. While engaged in examining these forms I have found in 

 the axis of Keroeidcs a remarkable character, which decidedly inter- 

 feres with the inclusion of that genus among the Scleraxonia, but 

 places it in the order Gorgonacea ( = Holaxonia Studer). On the other 

 hand, genus Suberogorgia shows in the axis a central cord consisting 

 of ccenenchymatous spicules, a character that is totally different from 

 that found in Kcroeides but is universally found in all the Scleraxonian 

 genera 1 examined by me. All these forms, it seems to me, may 

 be reduced in the fundamental structure of stems and branches to 

 the primary tubular type that we see in Solenocatdon? The genus 

 Suberogorgia may therefore be made to remain alone in the order 

 Scleraxonia, forming a family by itself. 



Quite recently, there appeared a paper by J. J. Simpson, 3 contain- 

 ing the description of a new genus Bendrogorgia referred by the author 

 to the family Suberogorgiida:. Judging from the illustrations given, that 

 genus seems to have a central cord of apparently the same character 

 as that of Keroeides. If it be so, the genus must be placed in the 

 Keroeididae, which I am going to introduce in the following chapter. 



Now, excluding Keroeides and provisionally Dendrogorgict also, 

 the family Suberogorgiidae may be characterised as follows : — 



Scleraxonians with distinct axis; the latter not jointed, formed 

 of fused spicules and horny matrix, with a rudimentary cent- 



1) Corallium, Melitodes, Acabaria, Mopsclla, Pari sis, Paragorgia. 



2) Compare Studer, Arch. f. Naturgesch., 53, 1. 1887, p. 5 and p. 25. 



3) On a new pseudaxonid genus Dendrpgorgia ; Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edinburgh 

 Vol. XVIII, No. I, 19 10, pp. 62-67. 



