6 Thomson, South Africa)! Gorgonacea. 



certain that my specimens do not belong to this species, but 

 this appears to me to be a new form. 



Locality, etc. — Pieter Faure, No. 655, S.S.W., off Cape Recife. 

 De^jth, 256 fathoms. Taken by dredge. Nature of bottom, 

 rocks. November 14th, 1898. 



P. F. 524. Off Algoa Bay. Depth, 100 fathoms. By 

 dredge. Nature of bottom, rocks. Date, November ist, i8q8. 



Family AIelitodid.-e. 

 Mcl'itodes Faitrii. s]).n. 



General Characters. — The branching is usually from the 

 nodes, rarely from the internodes. The spicules of the cortex 

 are spindles or spinous clubs. The nodes are penetrated by 

 endodermal canals. At one part the polyps are predominant 

 on three surfaces of the branches, and are there thickly dis- 

 tributed; they are not biserial in arrangement. The branching 

 is almost entirely in one ]ilane. The cortex is thin at the base, 

 thicker near the apex. The polyps are retractile within con- 

 spicuous calyces,. 



Specific Characters. — The nodes are large and prominent. 

 The internodes are shorter near the base, longer near the apex 

 of the colony. There is a considerable amount of anastomosis. 

 The branches have a slightly sinuous course. The branches 

 frequently originate at angles of 45". There is a slight amount 

 of flattening of the branches near the base, but in the upper 

 parts they are cylindrical. The internodes are from 4 mm. in 

 length near the base, to 13 mm,, in the upper parts of the colony. 

 The presence of endodermal canals in the internodes is not 

 certain. The nodes are expanded at all j:)arts of the colony; 

 they are brownish or yellowish in colour, the calyces stand at 

 right-angles, or at slightly less than right-angles to the surface, 

 in the lower part they are arranged on three sides of the stem 

 and branches, more apically they are arranged on all sides. 

 The polyps are comparatively hit;h, the anthocodi^ show the 

 8-rayed arrangement very clearly; the calyx is also very dis- 

 tinctly S-partite. The polyps frequently originate from the 

 nodes. The spicules of the tentacles are straight spindles, 

 curved spindles, curved spindles with more and larger processes 

 along the outer side of the curve, spinous clubs, clubs with 

 expanded processes, a few of which are nearly of the foliaccous 

 type. The spicules of the calyx are simple and curved spindles, 

 clubs with expanded broad processes, clubsayjproachine- the foli- 

 accous type, a few heads with expanded processes and irregular 

 spicules. 



Notes.- — The specimen is very fragile, and the upper parts 

 have become broken into a number of pieces; it is white, only 

 relieved by the yellow or brown colour of the nodes. The 

 coenenchyme is slightly rough owing to the spicules. There 



