96 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



short, irregular spirals, each of which consists of three polyps ; young polyps and 

 buds are developed everywhere between the old ones. The end of every twig and of 

 the stem is always occupied by a polyp. The polyps are cylindrical, only expanded 

 at the end, 3 mm. long. The spicules which surround the edge form bundles of 

 at most three long needle-like forms. The tentacles are bent in from the base 

 upwards. 



The axis is homy, fibrous, soft and flexible, in the stem and branches it is some- 

 what flattened, in the thicker portions it is of a brownish hue. 



The spicules in the ccenenchyma are longitudinally placed, and are generally curved, 

 spiny spindles, whose ends sometimes give ofi" lateral projections, 0'2 to 0"18 mm. to 

 0-4 mm. long ; in the polyps the bent spiny spicules form eight longitudinal rows, which 

 come together at angles and are relatively thick, 0'4 mm. long and 05 mm. in their 

 greatest diameter. 



The projecting spicules at the edge are slender, somewhat bent spindles, covered 

 with a few sharp spines, 0"67 mm. and 0'54 mm. long, and 005 to 004 mm. in 

 diameter. 



The polyps are very like those of Acanthogorgia (Blepharogorgia) schrammii, 

 Duch. and Mich., only in this species the polyps are smaller, 2 mm., and the spines 

 on the edge of the calyx opposite to the calyx spicules are remarkably thick and 

 coarse. 



The colour in alcohol is brown. 



Habitat. — Station 307, off" Port Grappler, Patagonia ; depth, 140 fathoms; bottom, 

 blue mud. 



3. Acanthogorgia laxa, n. sp. (PI. XXII. fig. 2; PI. XXV. fig. 3). 



The upright stem gives off" larger and smaller branches, chiefly on two sides, of 

 which the former again branch many times. Between these arise other small, 

 short branches from one side of the stem. The main stem is 7 mm. in diameter at 

 the root and rises from a horny, flat base, it is flattened in one plane and is many times 

 bent in its course. Its length reaches 160 mm. There arise, mainly from two sides, 

 in irregularly alternating series, larger, ramified branches, and smaller, rod-like twigs. 

 They arise at angles of 70° to 90° and are generally bent outwards in their further 

 course, their soft, terminal portions, however, usually fall drooping towards the root. 

 The larger branches attain a length of 150 mm. and have at their base a diameter 

 of 3 mm., they again give off" lateral twigs on two sides, which reach a length of 40 to 

 50 mm. The smaller, unramified branches are thin, generally bent outwardly in their 

 course, and reach up to 52 mm. in length. Between the two rows of branches, which 

 arise from the narrow edges of the stem, another row of small, thin twigs arises, which 



