Art. XXI. —Note on the Occurrence of the Foraminiferan Genus Ramulina in the New Zealand Waters.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 37, 1904, Page 300

Art. XXI. —Note on the Occurrence of the Foraminiferan Genus Ramulina in the New Zealand Waters. By W. B. Benham, D.Sc., M.A., F.Z.S., &c., Professor of Biology, University of Otago. [Read before the Otago Institute, 13th September, 1904.] During a dredging excursion in the summer of 1904, in which Mr. Charles Hedley, of the Australian Museum, Messrs. Suter, Cooper, Park, Murdoch, and others, took part, several interesting animals were obtained at a depth of about 100 fathoms, and amongst them the peculiar glassy foraminifer Ramulina globulifera. This has been described from the New Zealand waters by Brady, in the “Report of the ‘Challenger’ Expedition” (vol. ix.), but as it has escaped the notice of Mr. Hamilton, who drew up the admirable abstract from the “Summary,” and published by the New Zealand Institute under the title of “Deep-sea Fauna of New Zealand,” and as it is not enumerated in the “Index Fauæ Novæ-Zealandiæ,” it seems desirable to place on record its occurrences within the New Zealand area. The specimens which were handed to me by Mr. Hamilton for identification were obtained at a depth of 110 fathoms, east of Great Barrier Island, lat. 36° 8 S., long. 175′ 55 E. The following is quoted from Brady (loc. cit., p. 587):— “Fam. Lagenid Æ. “Subfam. Ramulin Æ. “Test branching, composed of spherical or pyriform chambers, connected by long stoloniferous tubes. Ramulina, Rupert Jones (1875). “Test free, branching; consisting of a calcareous tube swollen at intervals so as to form more or less definite, often irregular, segments, from which lateral stolons or branches are given off. Texture hyaline.” R. globulifera, Brady (1869) was obtained by the “Challenger” off the west coast of New Zealand in 145 and 275 fathoms (the latter was at station 166). It has been met with on various stations in the Pacific, and also in the North Atlantic. Figures of the species are given on pl. lxxvi, figs. 22–28, of vol. ix., “Challenger” Reports.