REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 215 



In the branches and twigs they are longitudinally placed and lie close together, and in 

 the terminal twigs and the peduncles of the polyp heads they form a coherent coat of mail. 

 The colour is very various, white, orange, purple, often half red and half white. The 

 principal sizes are 0'8 by O'OS mm.; 0'4 by 0"03 mm.; 0"8 by 0"05 mm.; 17 by 0"12mm.; 

 1-2 by 0-56 mm.; 4-0 by 0'3 mm.; S'O by 0*29 mm. The head is surmounted by a 

 spicule for as much as 1 mm. At the base of the head fine white spicules occur, arranged 

 in a circle ; then they become elevated and form eight bands of spicules arranged 

 en chevron. The tentacles are protected by flatish spicules toothed at the margin, 

 0'12 mm. long, and 0'03 mm. in diameter. The colour of the polyp heads is always 

 white, that of the branches and twigs very various, even on one and the same colony ; 

 white or orange or purplish-red. In two colonies the upper branches are purple, the 

 lower ones orange ; in a third the upper ones are white, and the lower ones orange. The 

 trunk is always orange, sometimes bright yellowish towards the upper end.. 

 Habitat. — Tahiti ; depth, 30 to 70 fathoms. 



Spongodes monticulosa, n. sp. (PI. XXXVIc. figs. 3a, 3fe). 



In its mode of branching and in the condition of the polyps this species very much 

 resembles the two preceding ones, so that on superficial observation one might be 

 tempted to regard it as a special growth from ofi" a Spongodes pustulosa. A more careful 

 examination compels one, however, to make a distinct species of it. 



The colony consists of a cylindrical stalk, fixed in the sand by means of stolons, 

 and a head portion thickly covered with polyps. The head appears to be spread out, 

 especially in one plane, and its surface is divided into four roundish, spherical lobes, 

 which, however, are not completely separated from one another. 



Height of the colony, ...... 65 mm. 



Height of the sterile trunk, . . . . . . 23 „ 



Thickness of the same, . . . . . . 12 „ 



Greatest diameter of the head portion, . . . . 69 „ 



The stalk gives ofi" at its base numerous cylindrical, partly ramified stolons, which 

 attach themselves to grains of sand and fragments of Mussel shells. Its consistence is 

 rather flabby ; the outer covering is soft and yielding, almost falling together in folds, yet 

 it is filled with spicules and has a rough, granular feel. In the polyp-bearing head- 

 portion the stalk is continued, giving off larger and smaller branches, until it divides at 

 the end into two short branches. Two large branches come off at the same level, but in 

 two directions from the upper end of the barren part ; one of them attains a length of 

 32 mm. 



The four main branches, as well as the stem, are surrounded by short secondary 



