REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 97 



bear only a few polyps. One side of the stem remains completely free. The polyps 

 arise from the stem, branches and twigs ; on the opposite sides only, irregularly alternating 

 at distances of 2 to 2-5 mm.; only in isolated places there occurs between these a third 

 row of polyps, but one face of the stem and twigs always remains free from polyps ; 

 towards the apex, where the polyps become very numerous and follow close upon one 

 another, the entire periphery of the twig is occupied by them. The polyps stand up 

 perpendicularly from their bases; they are cylindrical, slightly expanded at the end, 

 3 to 4-5 mm. long and 1 to 1-5 mm. in diameter; the bundles of spicules which 

 surround their edges, to the number of eight, are relatively short. The coenenchyma is 

 very thin and transparent; the axis is horny, fibrous, soft and flexible, in the finer twigs 

 flabby. In the stem and branches it appears flattened on one face. Its colour is a 

 yello\vish-brown. 



The sj)icules are transparent spindles with only a few sharp spines. In the 

 ccenenchyma they are placed in thick longitudinal series ; those whose edges bear only 

 a few blunt teeth measure 0"3 mm. and O'Oo mm.; isolated ones appear rounded at one 

 end and slightly bent, 0"25 mm. long and 0"023 mm. thick, or these are slightly forked 

 at one end, 0"25 mm. long and 0'07 mm. at the thicker end. At the bases of the polyps 

 there are also peculiar spicules which are constricted in the middle and produced at both 

 ends into two diverging arms, 0"3 mm. in length, and with a divergence of 1 mm. The 

 spicules in the polyps form eight longitudinal rows ; in each, two rows of needles are 

 directed convergently towards one another, so that two always form an angle whose 

 apex is directed towards the edge. The angle becomes blunter towards the apex of 

 the polyp and at the base of the tentacles the spicules are placed in a peripheral ring. 

 These spicules are slightly bent and curved with a few sharp warts, 0'46— 0"025; 0"67— 

 O'Od mm. The spicules of the diverging bundles are up to 0'83 mm. long and 0'07 

 mm. Ijroad. The spicules of the tentacles are thin, with sharp spines and prickles, and 

 are mostly thickened at one end, 0-2-0-025; 0-23-0-016; 0-33-0-05 mm. 



Habitat. — Station 308, ofi" Tom Bay, Patagonia; depth, 175 fathoms; bottom, 

 blue mud. 



4. Acanthogorgia ramossissima, n. sp. (PI. XXII. fig. 4 ; PI. XXVI. fig. 7). 



Colony upright, strongly and densely ramified. The stem rises to 145 mm., and has 

 at its base a diameter of 3 mm. It is upright, somewhat flattened in one plane and 

 spirally t'^'isted in its course. The branches arise from three sides of the stem at short 

 intervals of from 2 to 4 mm. In two opposite directions, in one plane they are strong, up 

 to 2 mm. in thickness at the base and up to 50 mm. long; and these "give ofi" simple lateral 

 twigs in two directions. Between these branches smaller branches arise in a median row, 

 with small lateral twigs ; they reach a length of 20 mm. All the branches form with the 



(ZOOL. CH.i.LL. EXP. — PART LXIV. 1887.) Ss.S 13 



