KEPOBT OH THE HYDROIDA. 
37 
Locality. — Station 177, off the New Hebrides; lat. 16° 45' S., long. 168° 7' E.; 
depth, 63 to 130 fathoms. 
Lictorellci cyathifera attains a height of about two inches. The main stem is stout 
and strongly perisiphonic towards the base, the principal branches are similarly peri- 
siphonic, and the whole colony is characterised by a peculiarly rigid habit. 
The hydrothecse, while pinnately disposed and exactly alternate, have their axes 
slightly directed towards one side of the ramulus. The rim is perfectly circular, even, 
and very slightly everted. 
Most of the hydrothecse exhibit just behind the rim one or two delicate annular striae, 
indicative of successive periods of growth. The hydrothecae-bearing ramuli present no 
distinct joints, and thus show no division into internodes. 
Lictorella cyathifera comes very near to Lictorellci hcdecioides of the present Report, 
which I have identified with Lafoea halecioicles of the “ Porcupine” collection. 
Lictorella halecioicles, however, is altogether a larger and stronger species, while its 
ultimate ramuli are intersected by distinct though not exactly equidistant joints, and the 
hydrothecae are narrower in proportion to their height, and have their peduncles jointed. 
The two species, however, undoubtedly come very near to one another, and the wide 
distribution of a type of form, the variation of which is so slight as to be almost within 
the limits of mere varietal distinction, is exceedingly interesting. Lictorella hcdecioides, 
as represented by the examples dredged by the “ Porcupine,” was obtained from the cold 
area which lies between Shetland and the Faeroe Islands, from depths of 640 and 345 
fathoms, with a bottom temperature of 36° F.; the Challenger examples of the same 
species were dredged off Cape York, Torres Strait, from a depth of from 8 to 12 fathoms ; 
while the station of Lictorella cyathifera lies off the New Hebrides, where it was dredged 
from depths of from 63 to 130 fathoms. 
Cryptolaria, Busk. 
Cryptolaria, Busk, Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci., ser. 1, vol. v. p. 173, 1857. 
Generic Character. Trophosome. — Hydrocaulus consisting of two parts, an axial 
and a peripheral, the peripheral consisting of a fascicle of simple tubes, the axial of a 
single tube, simple or branched, whose proximal portion lies under cover of the peripheral, 
and whose distal portion is free. Hydrothecse borne both by the covered and the free 
portions of the axial tube, tubiform, destitute of peduncles, with the cavity directly con- 
tinuous with that of the axial tube, and with their walls never adnate to the axile tube, 
where this is covered by the peripheral fascicle, but more or less adnate to the tube in 
the free portion of its course. 
Gonosome. — Gonangia consisting of sac-like receptacles, which spring at intervals 
