REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 181 



while those of the terminal twigs are scarcely 0*5 mm.; when deprived of coenenchyma 

 they appear pink and furrowed. The basal nodes are from 2 to 1-5 mm. in width. 



The polyps are mostly bilaterally placed, about 1 mm. apart ; they are retractile, 

 within but slightly elevated verrucge of almost 1 mm. in diameter ; on one fragment a 

 larger polyp occurs which measures 1-5 mm. in diameter, and 1 mm. in height above 

 the coenenchyma. The polyps are weU-furnished with spicules, there being a basal 

 coronet of bent and curved spiny spicules and the dorsal portion of each tentacle is 

 covered with spiny spindles of a yellow colour. 



The coenenchyma is thin and shows through it the furrowings of the internodes. 

 The outer layer of red warty and spiny spindles gives it a roughened appearance when 

 magnified ; underneath this comes a layer of colourless spindles and stellate spicules. 

 Towards the tips of the terminal branches there is a mixture of yellow, red, and white 

 spicules which is very striking. 



The general colour of the colony seems to vary from a deep salmon colour to a deep 

 red ; the polyps are yellow. 



The spicules measure : — those in the ccenenchyma, the warty one-sided spindles 

 0-22-0-06 ; 0-18-0-04 mm.; the thick warty slightly curved spindles 0-2-0-1; 0-22-0-08 

 mm. In the inner layer the stellate forms measure 0"12-0'04 mm., and the short spindles 

 with eight projecting knobs measure 0-08-0-04; 008-0-02; 0-06-0-02 mm. The curved 

 spiny spindles of the polyps measure 0-4-0-04; 0-32-0-03; 0-24-0-025; 0-38-0-02 mm.; 

 the long measurements of these are taken across from tip to tip of the curve. The spiny 

 spindles with blunt and sharp ends measure 0-3-0-04 ; 0-24-0"04 ; 0-22-0*04 mm. 



Habitat. — Amboina ; depth, 15 to 20 fathoms. 



The last four species would be placed by some in Acabaria. 



Genus Parisis, Verrill. 



Parim, VerriU, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zocil., 1865, p. 37. 



„ Gray, Cat. Lithophytes, p. 13. 

 Trinella, Gray, Cat. Lithophytes, p. 12. 

 Parisis, Ridley, Aun. and Mag. Nat. Hist., August 1882, p. 130. 



VerrUl first established this genus for a form from the Sulu Sea, taken during 

 the United States Exploring Expedition. It was diagnosed as follows — " Corallum 

 irregularly branching, nearly in a plane. The axis consists of alternately calcareous and 

 suberous segments, of uniform thickness, traversed by numerous narrow sulcations. 

 The branches originate from the calcareous segments. Coenenchyma persistent, rather 

 thin, somewhat membranous, with a rough surface. Cells prominent, arranged 

 irregularly on all sides of the branchlets, but often absent on the median surfaces of the 

 larger branches." Dr. Gray contents himself with copying Verrill's description but 



