168 



25 mm. in length, which arise at various angles. These and the secondary 

 branches bear polyps, about 2 mm. high, alternately on the two lateral margins. 

 The spicules are slightly smaller than in the Andaman specimen. 



The spicules are diverse in form ; most of them are spindles with tuberculate 

 warts, varying greatly in the proportions of length and breadth, some straight, 

 others curved, some bifid, others trifid at one end. Besides these there are 

 scale-like, triangular, pear-shaped and diamond-shaped forms. Small spiny 

 spindles on the anthocodire, and foi-ms intermediate between these and the 

 large coenenchyma spicules occur on the verructe. 

 Locality : Laccadive Island, 30-50 fathoms. 



A comparison of several specimens of Kei'oeides leads us to the conclusion 

 that Whitelegge's K. gmoilis lacks sufficient basis. Different colonies vary 

 considerably in vigour of growth, and this is associated with diversities in the 

 branching, in the disposition of the spicules, and in their dimensions. White- 

 legge notes that his K. gracilis differs from K. koreni " in its erect non-pendulous 

 habit and in the characters of its spicules," but Wright and Studer speak of the 

 type as having branches " possibly slightly pendulous," and the differences in 

 spiculation between Whitelegge's K. grari/i.^ and the " Challenger " specimen of 

 K. koreni, as described by Wright and Studer, are not greater than those 

 between two parts of one of the colonies we have studied. 



We therefore suggest that Whitelegge's A', gracilis should be included in 

 K. koreni, and we would now refer to K. koreni the specimens described as K. 

 gracilis in "Indian Ocean Alcyonarians," Part I., 190G, p. 22, in "Ceylon Pearl 

 Oyster Report," 1905, p. 287. 



Miss Hiles has described a pale colony of Keroeides as K. pallida; we 

 have not seen this specimen, but her description does not enable us to distin- 

 guish the new species from a pale variety of K. koreni, of which we have seen 

 several specimens. 



This type has been previously recorded from the following localities :— 



(a) As K. koreni, Ht/alonema-ground, off Japan, 345 fathoms (Wright and 

 Studer) ; Andamans, 270-45 fathoms (Thomson and Henderson). 



{/>) As K. gracilis, Funafuti (Whitelegge) ; deep water off Galle, Ceylon 

 (Thomson and Henderson) ; Andamans, 270-45 fathoms (Thomson 

 and Henderson); Milne Bay, British New Guinea, 20 fathoms 

 (Hiles). 



{c) As K. jyallida, Talili Bay, New Britain, 40 fathoms (Hiles). 



