816 SYDNEY J. HICKSON. 



that the specimens from both localities exhibit some branches which are bare or torn, sug- 

 gesting that they might possibly have been bitten by fish ; but they are also permeated by a 

 parasitic alga(?) which has a milk-white flocculent appearance in spirit. 



The spicules are of the characteristic shape, those of the cortex being about "25 mm. x "07 mm., 

 and those of the verrucae 0'15 mm. x -06 mm., but they exhibit a good deal of variation in the 

 size. 



The colour of the specimens is crimson-red. 



Genus Acis, sp. ? 



Locality. South Nilandu, 30 fathoms. North Male, 20 fathoms. 



When this paper was nearly ready for the press and I was arranging the collection in 

 separate bottles, I came across three fragments of Gorgonians which clearly belonged to species 

 distinct from any I had described. 



These I now find undoubtedly belong to the genus Acis which is characterised by the large 

 thick spindle-shaped spicules of the cortex. 



Three species of this genus are known: one (A. guadalupensis, D. and M.) occurs in the 

 West Indies, another (A. orientalis, Ridley) in the Mauritius, and a third was discovered by the 

 Challenger (A. imstulosa, W. and S.) off Japan. The occurrence of the genus in the Maldives 

 is therefore a matter of some interest. 



In some respects our specimens come close to A. orientalis, and I was tempted to regard 

 them all as belonging to this species, but the remarkable colour differences and the fragmentary 

 condition of our specimens render it necessary for me to consider the species doubtful. 



The first specimen is a delicate branching form with yellow calices and orange-coloured 

 coenenchym. This orange colour is due to the fact that most of the large coenenchym 

 spicules are yellow with a dark red core. The coenenchym is thin, the branches about 

 1 mm. in diameter. 



The second specimen consists of two branches 40 mm. and 25 mm. in length. They are 

 much more robust than the branches of the first specimen, being 2 mm. in diameter with a 

 much thicker coenenchym. The spicules of the outer layer of the coenenchym are white and 

 of the inner layer red. 



The third specimen- — the only one from N. Male — resembles the second specimen from 

 S. Nilandu in form and size, but the spicules are all red. 



The axis of all the specimens is horny with a core of lime. 



Family Gorgonellidae Verrill. 



Gorgonella verriculata, Milne-Edwards and Haime. Syn. Gorgonia reticularis, E. and S. (?). 



Localities. N. Male, 20 fathoms W. of Atoll ; across a passage. Mahlos Atoll, 23 fathoms ; 

 inner part of passage to S.E. 



One dried specimen of which the record of locality is lost. 



It is with some hesitation that I place these specimens in Milne-Edwards and Haime's 

 species. The description given by these authore is very inadequate, and Studer's (20) account 

 of a specimen which he attributes to the species does not add much to our knowledge. The 



