32 Thomson, South Ajncivi Gorgonacea. 



On all the lower parts of the colony, the polyps are dis- 

 posed on the two narrower sides of the stem and branches, 

 and a space free from polyps is thus left on the two broader 

 and flatter sides, which is sometimes 2 mm. in breadth; on the 

 latter two surfaces there is a faint longitudinal line or groove. 

 Nearer the apices of the branches, the polyps tend to be dis- 

 posed on all sides, though they are still mainly bi-lateral in 

 arrangement. The lateral polyps are sometimes separated from 

 one another by an interval of .5 to .75 of a millimetre. 



The spicules of the coenenchyme are small double spindles, 

 with wart-like processes or tubercles. They are almost in- 

 variably of this type, but exceptionally there are crosses and 

 simpler forms of spindles. The size of the double spindles is 

 from 0.05 X 0.04 to 0.08 X 0.054 n^ni. These spicules of the 

 coenenchyme are usually red. 



The spicules of the calyces are also mostly double spindles, 

 very similar to those of the coenenchyme, but with slightly 

 more rounded processes, and yellow in colour. 



The spicules of the tentacles and anthocodire are narrow 

 spindles or rods, with a few simple processes; they are about 

 0.08 X 0.02 mm. in size, and yellow^ in colour. Verrill has re- 

 corded this species from the West Coast of America, near Cape 

 St. Lucas. 



Locality, etc.- — Pieter Faure, No. 907. Off East London. 

 Depth, 85 fathoms. By dredge. Date, January 2Sth, iSgg. 



Leftogorgi'i aurata, sp.n. 



Plate I., Fig. 5; Plate IV., Fig. 2. 



The colony is fairly flexible, and the branching in one 

 plane. The main axis, which is expanded at the base, divides 

 at a low level into two. The smaller of these two primary sub- 

 divisions gives rise on one side only, firstly to simple non- 

 divided branches, and then to a compound branch. The 

 branches have two more or less rounded or blunt lobes, which 

 may be due to regrowth after injury to the part. The second 

 of the two main sub-divisions divides into two, each of which 

 gives rise to simple and to forked or compound branches. The 

 upper branchlets of this second part of the colony are connected 

 with one another at rare intervals, by a simple anastomosis. 

 The branching is neither dichotomous nor regular, as apparently 

 any lateral offshoot may grow to greater dimensions than the 

 others. The branches rarely arise opposite one another, they 

 tend to originate mostly on one side towards vacant space. 

 The axis is brown or black in colour, and cylindrical in that 

 part of the colony immediately above the slightly expanded 

 base, which is free from polyps. The axis of the colony is 

 hard and horny, and its expanded base is light brown in colour. 

 Above the main shoot the branches are slightly flattened but 

 towards the apex of the colony the branchlets tend to become 



