OCR Text |
Show 396 PROF. J. A. THOMSON A N D MR. W. D. HENDERSON ON [APR. 10, GENERAL NOTES. Before proceeding to the systematic description of species may call attention to some facts of general interest:- (1) The collection includes specimens of over 60 species, of which 25 are new. But seven of these new forms belong to the prolific genus Glavularia. (2) The most interesting new forms in the collection are the following:--Glavularia pregnans (viviparous), Siphonogorgia •intermedia (which seems an annectent type), Wrightella variabilis (a Melitodid with great variability of coloration), Ccelogorgia repens (with encrusting habit), Virgularia multicalycina, Pteroeicles rigidum, and Pt. pulchellum. (3) Mr. Crossland's Zanzibar collection (63 species) and Prof. Herdman's Ceylon collection (42 species) have only 3 species in common, namely:- Clavularia niargaritiferce, Xenia umbellata, Paraspongodes striata. Lophogorgia lutkeni, here recorded from the Cape Verde Islands, also occurred in the Ceylon collection. (4) W e have given some illustrations of the great variability of the species of Clavularia and Xenia, e. g. as to the number of rows of pinnules, the number of pinnules, the bare streak on the tentacles, the spicules, and so on. (5) VIVIPARITY.-In Clavularia pregnans, sp. n., there are large embryos which cause a unilateral protuberance on the polyp-tube a short distance below the mouth. They seem to be liberated by a rupture of the delicate body-wall. Embryos were also found in Clavularia parvula, sp. n. Viviparity was recorded by Hickson in Gorgonia capensis, and it is probably not infrequent in Alcyonarians, as we have observed it in Chrysogorgia Jiexilis (Th. k H.); Ceratoisis gracilis (Th. k H.); Pennatula indica (Th. k H.); Distichoptilum gracile (Th. k H.) ; Umbellula elongata (Th. & and Funiculina gracilis (Th. k H.), all from deep water in the Indian Ocean. Mr. James J. Simpson has also observed embryos in Isis hippuris. NOTE ON LOCALITIES BY MR. CROSSLAND. As the Alcyonaria are the most abundant and conspicuous part of the littoral fauna of East Africa, and as certain species and genera are characteristic of different localities, topographical information is of especial importance in connection with their description. As collections from East Africa have been described by some investigators who have contented themselves with giving as locality a small village or islet not to be found on any map, and |