Manchester Memoirs, Vol. Ixi. (191 6), No. I. 37 



has a soft, fleshy appearance, due to the thick coenenchyme. 

 The tentacles are white, and are in some cases extended beyond 

 the calyces. The lower main branches are slightly flattened, 

 the upper are rounded, and with small apices. The axis is 

 horny, and yellow or brown in colour. The calyces are prom- 

 inent and very numerous, being scattered over the surface of 

 the coenenchyme with little interval between them, except in 

 the lower part of the colony. The base has unfortunately been 

 broken away and lost, but a line or groove is seen in the centre 

 of two' of the lower main branches for a short distance. The 

 branching is mainly in one plane, and there is no anastomosis. 

 As far as one can judge from the incomplete specimen, the 

 mode of branching is as follows : — Two main primary branches 

 give off secondary branches on either side, which may be 

 simple and unbranched, or they may divide up and give rise 

 to tertiary branches, the latter also- in some cases sending out 

 quaternaries. The surface of the coenenchyme is yellow, and 

 has a granular appearance produced by the yellow spicules. 

 Any statement as to general size is in this case of little value, 

 as the colony is obviously incomplete. The diameter of one 

 of the two main stems is 3.5 by 2 mm. ; the diameter of a branch 

 near the apex less than i mm. ; the calyces may be i mm. in 

 height and 1.5 mm. in diameter. The calyces, are separated 

 from one another by the merest fraction of a millimetre, the 

 tentacles in some cases extend .75 mm. beyond the calyx. 

 Ihe coenenchyme covering the horny axis near the base is 

 about .8 mm. in thickness. The spicules from all parts of the 

 colony are fairly similar, namely, double spindles, spicules of 

 a club-like form, simple spindles (a few), and irregular spicules 

 (rare). The double spindles range from 0.075 ^ 0.045 to 0.117 

 X 0.0396 mm. The club-like spicules of the coenenchyme from 

 O.io X 0.065 fo 0.127 X 0.054 mm. The irregular spicules and 

 simple spindles are about 0.099 x 0.081 mm. This species 

 comes near Gorgonia diihia. Th. and Mac. These authors 

 write, " There is no trace of anything resembling the ' scaphoid ' 

 spicules described as characteristic of the genus Gorgonia. In 

 this respect our genus comes nearest to Gorgonia oppositipinna, 

 Ridley, and G. anstraliensis, Ridley, where the spicules are 

 mainly whorled spindles, the scaphoids being only slightly 

 developed." G. chibia resembles my species in the calyces 

 occurring all over the stem and branches irregularly and in 

 spirals, both are shallow water forms, but the coenenchyme of 

 G. diibia is described as thin and white ; in my species it is 

 fairly thick and yellow in colour. As my specimen is incom- 

 plete, I do not give it a specific name, but as it w^as collected 

 near Table Bay probably another example will be found later, 

 and the doubt as to its identification will be settled. 



Locality, etc. — Pieter Faure, No. 2,887. Robben Island, 

 N.E., f N., 3 miles. Depth, 27 fathoms. By large dredge. 

 Nature of bottom, coral, sand, shells and rocks. Mav 30th, 

 1900. 



