15 



what surprises us is that in spite of the differences which they indicate between 

 Fifsriniluria and Paralctioniitm, they should propose to include the two in one 

 family. From their descriptions, as from Viguier's, it appears to us that 

 Fatn-intldrhi is more nearly related to Siimpodiion than to Pantlrijoiiiiim ; that 

 it differs from Paralciinniiim too markedly (in the structure of the basilar 

 portion and in the relations of the polyps to this and to one another) to allow 

 of their being included in one family ; and that neither is nearly related to 

 Stitderiotes. 



Diaiiinmx of Staderiotes. — A colony consisting of a strong densely spiculose 

 cup, within which very numerous finger-like polyp-bearing lobes or branches 

 are retracted ; these arise at different levels from a strong muscular central 

 thalamus, and from the upper parts of the inner wall of the cup ; each finger- 

 like lobe is thickly covered with polyps and ends in a polyp larger than the 

 rest ; the cavities of the polyps communicate with a central canal in the digiti- 

 form lobe, and these central canals unite in a few large longitudinal canals with 

 few spicules in their walls ; the polyps have a distinct non-retractile calyx or 

 verruca, covered with spindles arranged in double rows ; the spicules are all 

 spindles, except a few minute irregular forms found (along with sparse spindles) 

 in the canal walls ; many of the cortical spindles attain huge dimensions (over 

 9 mm. ) ; many are sinuous and forked ; almost all are very warty, and there is 

 a characteristic arrangement of the warts in transverse rows. 



Our general conclusion, which is based on a single specimen, of which we 

 had to be careful, is that we have to do with a very distinct genus, related to 

 Paralryoiiiiim, but not very closely ; perhaps connected through forms like 

 iVidd/ia with other Alcyoniidae ; but more probably deserving, as Professor 

 Verrill suggested to us, the establishment of a new family. 



Family Nephthyidm. 

 Sub-family Spongodinse. 



Nephthya glomerata, n. sp. 

 ,, tenuispina, n. sp. 

 Dendronephthya (syn. Spongodes), numerous species. 



GENUS NEPHTHYA, Savigny. 



Nephthya glomerata, n. sp. 



Several specimens of an orange-brown colour markedly flattened in one 

 plane. The largest, which is 55 mm. in height, 40 mm. in breadth, and 15 mm. 

 in thickness, is attached to a piece of bivalve shell. It consists of an almost 

 cylindrical stalk, about 15 mm. in diameter, from the lateral surfaces of which 



