History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

516 ZOOPHYTA. CORALLINAD.E. Lobularia.towards the tip become alternate ; they are clavate with rough ends M.Lamouroux has strangely confounded his Alcyonium lobatum and the A. exosof Dr Spix with this species. With every allowance for the discrepancywhich may prevail among the representations of the same animal, examinedunder different circumstances, by unconnected observers, it is impossible toadmit that the figures given by Ellis, which have been referred to and thosecommunicated by the above named observers, can have been taken from individualsof the same species. The tentacula in Ellis's figures (and havingcompared these with nature we can pronounce on their accuracy) are pinnateand pointed. In the Alcyonium exos of Dr Spix (Annales du Mus. xiii.t. xxxiii. f. 7-) the tentacula are subclavate, blunt, and villous ; while in theA. lobatum of M. Lamouroux (Hist. Cor. 336. t. xiii. B, C, H.) they are subcylindrical,rounded at the extremity, and covered above and on the marginwith blunt tubercles. In our examination of several specimens, from differentparts of the coast, varying in form and colour, we have only met withthe species figured by Ellis. It is probable, however, that the others maybe detected in our seas.Gen. XXXVIII.CYDONIUM.—A coriaceous skin, internallycarneous, with numerous straight ridged spicula, perpendicularto the surface ;polypi with a central opening,and an orifice at the base of each of the eight pinnated tentacula.84. C. Mulleri. — Skin yellowish, with numerous stellatepores; internally brown.A. cvdonium, Mull. Zool. Dan. t. 81. f. 3, 4, 5. Jameson, Wern. Mem.i. 5 03—Zetland.Base of adhesion narrow, body massive, surface irregular; the skin consistsof animal matter cementing innumerable round siliceous grains the cells leadingfrom the stellate pores are indistinct ;;the spicula, which converge towardsthe centre, are fusiform, grouped in small bundles, and many of them at theskin are tricuspidate. In a dried specimen from Zetland, which I have hadan opportunity of examining through the kindness of Professor Jameson, thesurface is slightly villous, owing probably to the contraction of the skin, leav«ino- the extremities of the fibres free. With the exception of the stellate pores,it agrees with the Alcyonium primum Dioscoridis of Donati (Adriat. 56. t. ix.f. i.j in the villous skin and the simple and tricuspidate spicula.Gen. XXXIX.CLIONA.— Substance fleshy, irritable, withsiliceous spicula; imbedded in cavities of shells and protrudingtubular contractile papilla?, on the margin of whichare placed cylindrical polypi, with 8 tentacula.85. C cclata.— Flesh yellow, spicula cylindrical, tubular,closed, slightly curved, pointed at one end, and terminated bya small hollow round head at the other.Grant, New Edin. Phil. Journ.— In old shells, especially oysters, common.Perforations circular, leading into unconnected cavities, filled with thefleshy matter; the tubular papillae project through the circular perforations.