Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

346 COLLECTTONS FROM MELANESIA.packed over the cortex. In our specimen, which is about 46 inches(1150 millim.) long by 6 millim. thick at the present (broken) base,and 3| millim. thick at tip, the basal end is almost smooth, the verrucsebeing either level with the surface or depressed below it;towards the middle of the length thej^ gradually become projecting,until they reach a height of about 1-25 millim. ; they are thenappresscd against the surface of the cortex. A distinct mediangroove is to bo traced along most of the stem. Studer has alreadyrecorded it from Australia (north and north-west), 45-50 fms.Hah. Port Denison, Queensland, 4 fms.19. Juncella gemmacea.Verrucella gemmacea, M.-Edtvards ^' Haime, Hist. Cor. p. 185,pi. B 2. fig. 7.Juncella gemmacea, KnlUker, Icon. Hidiol. p. 141, Avoodcut 19, fig. 1.? Juncella flexihs, Studer, MB. Ak. Berlin, 1878, p. 059.The spicules of this species appear to be hardly distinguishablefrom those of J. juncea, Pallas, judging by a comparison of thoseobtained from the present Australian specimen with those figuredby KoUiker (?. c). The present collection contains (partlj^ dry,partly iu spirit) five si)ccimens, besides fragments ; they exhibitprecisely the range of variation in colour which is described byStuder (MB. Ak. Berlin, 1878, p. (359) in his specimens from 80fms. ofi' North-west Australia. They are mostlj' flexil>le and somewhatslender as compared with M .-Edwards and Haime's figure,for the maximum diameter of the stem in most is not more than(including the verruca3) 2-5 millim., only in one case attaining3 millim.Hah. Percy Island, 0-5 fms.; Port Molle, 12-20 fms. andbetween tide-marks ; Port Denison, 4 fms. ; Pitzroy Islaud, 11 fms.(all in Queensland).Ohs. The absence of this wide-ranging species from the TorresStraits captiires seems to be accidental.seems hardly distinct from it.Studer's species, J.Jiexilis,20. Juncella elongata, var.Gorgnnia elongata, Pallas, Elcnch. Zooph. p. 179.Juncella elongata, KoUiker, Icon. Ilistiol. p. 138.A spirit-specimen measuring 125 millim. (5 inches) in height and90 millim. (3^ inches) in extreme present diameter ; it diff'ers fromthe typical form of this species mainly in its slender habit, indistinctindication of posterior bare space and depressed line, and palepinkish-yellow colour. The spicules agree perfectly with those ofthe species. The branching is dichotomous. The largest perfectterminal branch measures 03 millim. in length ; some other veryshort ones appear to have been broken during life, the cortex