REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 13 



The ramification is very abundant, every branch giving oii" twigs, and these giving off 

 lateral twigs to the fifth order. The twigs are always given off" at sharp angles. The 

 ramification of" the end of the branch frequently takes place in a different plane from the 

 twigs at its commencement, which is caused by the fact that the end of the main branch 

 is bent at an angle out of the horizontal. 



The tips of the branches and twigs are thin and hair-like. The axis of the stem and 

 of the twigs is horny, with calcareous deposits at the base of the stem, and in the finer 

 twigs it is flexible and elastic. The colour of the stem and thicker branches is a dark 

 brown, surfece shining, iridescent ; that of the finer twigs is a glistening yellow. 



The ccenenchyma is very thin and transparent, so that the axis is visil^le all through. 



The polyps are cylindrical, with broad bases, scarcely thickened at the ends, 1 to 

 1 '5 mm. long. They are absent on the stem ; on the twigs there is, for the most part, 

 one on each node. Only on the end twigs are there from two to three, of which one 

 is immediately below the apex. 



The surface layer of spicules consists of thick spindles, blunt at the ends, which lie 

 close together. Their direction in the polyps follows the longitudinal direction of the 

 latter, they are continued up the tentacles in three or four rows. Their surface is raised 

 into slight warts, which with a low power can only be recognised as slight marginal 

 teeth, but with a high power (Hartnack 7) they appear 'as the expression of rugose 

 elevations, which are placed concentrically around a central nucleus, and might be con- 

 sidered as lines of growth. The size of the spicules reaches — height to breadth in mm. 

 0-31-0-05 ; 0-3-0'06; 0-3-0-05 ; 0-27-0-04. 



The lower layer consists of oval, biscuit-shaped, lancet-shaped, flat scales, mostly with 

 finely toothed edges, which are united together by interlocking of the teeth. Length to 

 breadth— 0-22-0-1 ; 0-15-0-06; 014-0-03 ; 0-11-0-03 ; O'lS mm. 



Habitat. — Station 192; ofi" the Ki Islands, south of Papua; depth, 140 fathoms; 

 bottom, blue mud. Three examples. 



[4. Dasygorgia agassizii, Verrill. 



Dasygorgia agassizii, Verrill, Bull Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. xi. No. 1, p. 22, pi. ii. figs. 4, 4rt, 4?^, 

 1883. 



Habitat.— GeoTge's Bank; lat. 41° 24' 45" N., long. 65° 35' 30" W.; depth, 1242 

 fathoins. No specimen was obtained by the Challenger. 



5. Dasygorgia elegans, Verrill. 



Dasygorgia elegarw, Venill, Bull. Mus. Comp. ZooL, vol. xi. No. 1, p. 23, 1883. 

 Habitat. — Ofi" Granada, 291 fathoms. Ofi" Barbados, 237 and 347 fathoms. No 

 specimen was obtained by the Challenger.] 



