192 



Elasmogorgia filiformis, Wright and Studer. 



„ fiexilis, Hickson. 



Muricella complanata, Wright and Studer. 



„ raviosa, Thomson and Henderson. 



„ rubra, Thomson. 



„ „ var. robusta, n. 



„ arborea, n. sp. 



„ robusta, n. sp. 



Eianuricea splendens, n. sp. 



„ ramosa, n. sp. 



GENUS ACANTHOGORGIA, Gray. 

 Acanthogorgia muricata, Verrill. 



A. murirata, Verrill, " Bull. Mus. Comj). Zool. Harvard Coll., " vol. ii. 

 No. 1, p. 34. Cambridge, 1883. 



A. muricaia, Hiles, " Gorgonacea from Funafuti," " Proc. Zool. Soc.," 

 p. 48. London, 1899. 



A. muricata, Studer, " Alcyonaires provenant des Campagnes de I'Hiron- 

 delle," fasc. xx. (1901), p. 45. 



A. spinosa, Hiles, " Willey's Zoological Kesults," Part II. p. 198. Cam- 

 bridge, 1899. 



A. aspera, Pourtales. 



Belonging to this genus so prolific of species there are in the collection a 

 great number of specimens from five different localities. In the Report on the 

 "Investigator " Deep-sea Alcyonarians a comparative table is given, and even a 

 cursory glance at this suggests that many of the characters on which new species 

 have been formed are of doubtful significance. As we have elsewhere noted 

 habitat plays a very important part in the moulding of general contour, and in 

 the genus Acanthogorgia. this must not be overlooked, in fact the architecture of 

 the verrucpe and polyps seems to be the character of greatest specific moment. 

 Too fine distinctions, however, must not be drawn, for in one and the same colony 

 there is often considerable difference. Such characters as the transverse rows 

 of spicules near the apex of the verructe in .-/. horrida, Studer, and the cup-shaped 

 verructe with long peduncle in A. longiflora, Wright and Studer, are obviously 

 distinctive, but the mode of grouping and the number of spicules in the clusters 

 at the apex of the verruc8e are difficult to determine, so that too great stress 

 must not be placed on this as a specific character. In one specimen which we 

 studied we found in the more expanded polyps as many as five si)ines project- 

 ing in each of the eight bundles. Some of these were arranged radially so that 

 when the polyp was further withdrawn those nearest the centre became almost 

 horizontal, and the number was consequently diminished until in some cases 



