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

;ALCrOXAEIA. 357carefully and found that, in the proportion of about 1 to 30 of theordinary verrucas, or about one to each internode, some large verrucseoccurred, about twipe the diameter of the usual forms ; this was thecase only on the medium-sized and larger branches. Unfortunatelyno spirit-specimens of the species were obtained ; but the examinationof the open verrucas shows 8 short spiculate tentacle-lobes,converging like the segments of an orange, within both the smallerand larger verrucas. This is therefore a case of dimorphism muchless strongly marked than and of a different character from that ofthe Penuatulida, and of CoralUum and SarcopJit/tum, where theasexual zooids have no tentacles. Possibly, when spirit-specimensare examined, it will be found that these two kinds of tentaculateindividuals represent the two kinds of "polypes" (viz. rudimentarysexual and perfect asexual) which occur in Hcdisceptrum (Kolliker,• Pennatulidcu,' p. 161) in addition to the sexual " zooids."In my descriptions I have employed the term " internode " forthe hard joints, and " soft joints " for the intermediate ones, as beingmore appropriate and more conformable to the botanical usage thanthe "joint" and "internode" employed by Gray (I.e.) to designatethese parts respectively.The new genus Psilacaharla presents an exception to the usuallystrongly marked bilateral symmetry in the arrangement of theexternal parts of the corallum in this family.MELITODES.Melitsea, Lamarck, Mem. du Miis. d'Hist. Nat. i. p. 410 (1815).Melitodes, Verrill, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. i. p. 38 (1863).Axis, both hard and soft joints, traversed by longitudinal canalscortical spicules of two kinds, viz. larger, fusiform, verrucose, andsmaller, nodular, iis above stated, the first of these characters onlydistinguishes Melitodes from Glathraria and Psilacaharia amongMelithseidse.32. Melitodes albitincta.(Plate XXXVII. figs. C-C" ; Plate XXXVIII. figs. 6, h' .)Corallum slight, branching in one plane. Stem slender, internodescircular in section ;joints oval, little thicker than the internodes andabout half their length. Branchlets slender, undulating, almost allanastomosing, forming chiefly elongate meshes. Diameter of internodesof the larger main branches 3 millim., of terminal branchlets1 millim. Colour of general cortex in dry state white, beautifullyspeckled with vermilion, that of verruc;ie and the contained polypesorange-yellow. Cortex very smooth, thin on stem, on terminalbranchlets forming about two thirds of the thickness of the branch.Verrucoe broad, slightly prominent, arranged in two alternating rowson each side of the brunches, but generally absent from the anteriorand posterior faces ; they are of two sizes, viz. :—(i.) abundant, low,about '4 millim. in diameter at their base ;(ii.) about one to eachinternode on an average, more prominent than (i.), measuring about