REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 217 



they project above the margin in eight small teeth. The base of each tentacle contains 

 two long spindles, converging together towards the apex in the form of a V, between 

 which may lie another median spindle. These form a tentacular cover. The spicules of 

 the head measure 0-63 by 0'05 mm.; 0'5 by 0"02 mm., &c. 



The colour of the colony varies throughout according to the locality. The stem and 

 branches are yellowish-white, and in the branches there occur individual purple spicules. 

 The twigs on isolated branches are yellowish-white, but on most are purple. The polyp 

 heads are always white. 



Habitat— Station 188, Arafura Sea; lat. 9° 59' S., long. 139° 42' E.; depth, 28 

 fathoms ; bottom, green mud. 



fi. Laxse. — The polyp heads occur in loose groups on the scattered twigs. 



Spongodes laxa, n. sp. (PI. XXXVI. figs. 5a, 56). 



The stem is flabby, cylindrical, it is simply rounded ofi" and smooth at the base, giving 

 off flabby branches at wide intervals on two sides. The branches, just like the main 

 stem, are loosely covered with small secondary branches coming straight off from them ; 

 these are provided wdth divergent twigs which bear tfie polyps. The polyps have 

 long peduncles and come off at long distances from one another. 



Length of the colony, ...... 82 mm. 



Thickness of the main stem near the base, . . . 12 „ 



Length of one of the larger branches, .... 30-40 „ 



Length of the secondary branches, .... 6-8 „ 



The main stem gradually diminishes in size from the base to the apex, it is simply 

 rounded off at the bottom, without any root-portion which might serve to fix it to the 

 substratum. But some small, wart-like protuberances may represent scars indicating 

 that the stem became constricted off from a basal portion, or that it originally developed 

 stolons which have gradually become obliterated. 



Already at the base a lateral branch comes off on one side, then follow, higher up, 

 two other lateral branches at wide distances on two opposite sides. They come off at 

 right angles from the stem but bend somewhat upwards in their course, they also 

 diminish in size from the base to the apex, like the main stem. 



The outer covering of the stem and branches is soft and flabby, and not calculated to 

 give firmness to the colony. One recognises therein, with the aid of a lens, numerous 

 irregularly disposed needle-shaped spicules. From the stem and branches spring, in 

 like manner, short, stiff, secondary branches, coming off at right angles. These either 

 again give off small lateral twigs, or divide directly into two or three short, divergent 



(ZOOL. CHALL. EXP. — PART LXIV. 1888.) SsS 28 



