REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 243 



portion ; and there does not seem to be any difference in the spicules of any of these 

 regions, as is often so strikingly the case. 



The capitulum forms a globular mass, soft but not flabby ; the very large autozooids 

 giving it, on a casual glance, an angular appearance. The whole colony, from its base to 

 the top of the capitulum, is 13 mm. high, and the latter projects slightly over the 

 columnar portion. 



The autozooids are thirteen in number, — one had been partially torn away. They are 

 of large size, evidently quite retractile within very shallow verrucse, the eight dentations 

 of which can close over the retracted polyps. These verrucas, when the polyps are pro- 

 truded, measure 3, 4, and 5 mm. in diameter. One of the extruded polyps, with 

 partially expanded tentacles, though contracted by the spirits, measures 8 mm. in height ; 

 the pinnae seem wide for the length of the tentacles. 



The siphonozooids are very minute, the oral openings, when contracted, not being 

 visible to the unassisted eye, and they do not give the roughened appearance so well seen 

 in the other species of the genus ; so far as can be ascertained, without injury to the 

 unique specimen, ova are not present in either the auto- or siphonozooids. 



The general colour is a bright red, the tentacles and bodies of the polyps being of a 

 lighter hue. 



The straight spiny spindles measure 0'5-004 ; 0'4-004 ; 0"26-004 mm.; the four- 

 rayed forms 0"1-0'1 ; 008-008 mm. The minute stachelkeulen are very uniformly 

 '06-0 '04 mm. The flattened spicules with spiny edges, contracted in the middle and 

 more or less expanded at both ends, measure 0'12-0'02 ; 0"l-0"02 mm. The broad 

 spindles, with blunt projections, measure 0'2-0"06; 0"16-0"06; 0"12-006 mm. The 

 irregular after-branching spiny forms measure 0"46-004 ; 0'4-0'04 ; 0"36-0'06 mm. 



This species seems allied to Anthomastus purpureus (K. and D.), but is easily 

 recognised by the difi'erences in the siphonozooids, and especially by the diSerences in 

 the spicules. 



Habitat. — Station 3, south of the Canaries ; depth, 1525 fathoms. 



Anthomastus steenstrupi, n. sp. (PL XLI. fig. 8). 



The colony consists of a sterile base and stem, with an expanded capitulum, which 

 latter bears the auto- and siphonozooids. 



The basal portion grew embedded in sand, shells, &c. It is furnished with a few 

 nipple- like processes, some of which probably were continued into short stolons. The 

 sterile columnar portion is oval in section, and is slightly ribbed ; it is 18 mm. in height 

 and about 10 by 6 mm. in breadth. The polyp-bearing portion projects considerably, 

 forming a convex disc resting on the stem ; the projections are not symmetrical, the 

 greatest being at right angles to the broader side of the column ; the disc is nearly 



