1888.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 309 



I have not been able to satisfy myself as to the exact affinities of 

 this species. It appears to differ broadly from the common purple 

 sea-feather of the West Indies, and does not have the depressed 

 branches which are assumed for Esper's Pterogorgia acerosa. It is, 

 however, with little doubt one of the forms that are included by 

 Pallas in his Gorgonia acerosa {Qiiercus marina Theophrasti), and 

 may be the one that is referred to by Milne-Edwards as Pterogorgia 

 Sloanei. 



Of the species of gorgonians above enumerated Dana indicates 

 Rhiindogorgia flahellum, Gorgonia flexuosa, G. homomalla, and G. 

 crassa as coming from the Bermudas (" Corals and Coral Islands, " 

 p. 114). I find no mention in any more recent work of the occurence 

 there of either Gorgonia j^seudo-antipathes or G.dichotovia. On the 

 other hand, we failed to obtain the Pterogorgia Americana mention- 

 ed by Dana. 



ZOANTHIDJE. 



Of the zoanthoid forms of actinians we collected three species, 

 Palythoa (Corticifera) glareola, Lesueur, P. ocellata, Ellis and 

 Solander, and a species of Zoantha, closely related to Z. sociata, but 

 possibly new. The first of these species was found in large encrusting 

 masses at the North Rock, partially exposed at low water. The 

 glary white or yellowish crusts were nearly half an inch in thickness. 

 Palythoa ocellata also occurs, but more sparingly, at the same local- 

 ity ; on the western exposure of Gallows Island, at the entrance to 

 Elatts Inlet, it was much more abundant, forming large patches in 

 association with Siderastrcea galaxea. The species of Zoantha was 

 sparingly developed off" Gallows Island, but in one or more rock- 

 hollows in Tucker's Town Bay, Castle Harbor, the bright green 

 colonies of this beautiful polyp were plentiful. 



ECHINODERMATA. 



HOLOTHURIA. 



The animals of this order are in places excessively abundant ; in- 

 deed, excepting the corals, they may be said to constitute the most 

 distinctive feature of the fauna of the sand bottoms. Where other 

 forms are apparently entirely a])sent, the black masses of the great 

 Stichopus stand out in ])rominent relief over the white bottom. 

 Motionless, seemingly, during the greater part of their existence, 

 these singular creatures present the appearance of big black blotch- 

 es on the sand, of which they consume, whether for nourishment or 



