215 



Locality : Andamans. 



The Wood-Mason Collection contains several specimens which, though 

 exhibiting great diversity in general appearance and robustness, must never- 

 theless be placed in this species. Their apparent diversity is due in part to 

 more vigorous growth, in part to diflFerent degrees of retraction ot the polyps. 



{(i) A robust but damaged portion of a colony, 185 mm. in height and 75 

 mm. in breadth without basal attaichment. The axis at the lower extremity is 

 <) nmi. in diameter, while in the twigs it is 1^-2 mm. The cteneuchyma is thick 

 and the verrucfe are very prominent, so that in some of the twigs a maximum 

 breadth (including the verructe) of 3-5-4 mm. is attained. The colour is dark 

 brownish-red. 



(/;) A much-battered specimen 130 nun. in height with no basal attachment. 

 The diameter of the stem is 5 mm. Most of the branches have been broken 

 off, but in general appearance it resembles {o). 



{(■) A small portion, evidently terminal, of a large colony, 110 mm. in 

 height and 35 mm. in breadth. The branching is not strictly confined to one 

 plane. The polyps are not greatly retracted and resemble those of (a). The 

 anthocodire appear yellowish. The colour is the same as in {(t) and {/>). 



It is not improlmble that the above three specimens are parts of what must 

 have been one huge colony. 



(d) A large tlabellate colony, 115 mm. in height and 150 mm. in breadth, 

 with its basis of attachment on a piece of coral. The branches vary little in 

 diameter and anastomosis is frequent. The verrucre are small and dome-like ; 

 the anthocodiaj are very much retracted. This gives a very uniform appearance 

 to the colony. An average diameter of a branch is l|-2 mm., but the diameter 

 of the main stem at the base is 3-5 mm. There is a hint of flattening in the 

 branches in a plane perpendicular to the plane of ramification. The colour is 

 dull red. 



(e) A fragmentary portion of a medium-sized colony, 135 mm. in height 

 and 95 mm. in breadth. The coenenchyma is rubbed off in many places, and 

 in several of these encrusting Polyzoa take its place. The branching is not 

 confined to one plane. The verrucie are small and dome-like ; they are more 

 prickly than in the preceding four specimens. The colour is almost vermilion 

 red. 



Echinogorgia ramulosa, Gray. Plate VIII. fig. 3. 



A large graceful colony, 16 cm. high and 19 cm. broad, of an almost 

 black colour, represents this species. The main stem, which is 11 cm. long, 

 arises from a spreading base 2-5 cm. in diameter. It is not complete but does not 

 appear to have been much longer. The whole colony is branched in one plane. 

 At a distance of 1 -2 cm. from the base the first branch, which is (3 cm. long. 



