25 
The surface of the branches is quite smooth to the naked eye, but round 
that part of the margin of the cups that is not immersed in the base of their 
successor faint traces of costze may sometimes be seen with a lens. 
The cups are circular, deepish in the living state, and empty-looking— 
owing to the scarcity and tenuity of the septa. 
The septa, which are not at all exsert, are in six systems and three cycles, 
but those of the third cycle need careful looking for with a lens. Even those 
of the second cycle are often small and inconspicuous. Those of the first cycle 
are always plainly visible to the naked eye: even they are often inconspicuous 
near the mouth of the cup, but deeper down, where they meet, they are pro- 
minent. 
There is no columella: the septa often barely meet. 
As growth proceeds, several more or less parallel branches may fuse to- 
gether, not in a solid mass but by a superficial crust, and in this way hollow 
branching trunks result, which give a lodging to a large species of polychete. 
Furthermore, as these trunks age, the calices on their surface fill up, and at 
last show as mere smooth round depressions. 
The colour of the fresh corallum varies from light pinkish brown to 
cinnamon. Diameter of calicles 3 to 4 millim. 
A large number of branches was dredged off the Travancore coast at 
430 fms. 
This species seems to be nearest to Lophohelia candida Moseley, which 
was dredged by the “Challenger” in the West Indian Seas at 450 fms. 
xi. AMPHIHELIA, Edw. & Haime, Martin Duncan. 
20. Amphihelia (Diplohelia) moresbyi, nu. sp. Pl. iii. figs. 4, 4a. 
Corallum proceeding by regular alternate-distichous, sometimes dichotom- 
ous, subterminal gemmation. 
Surface of branches quite smooth to the naked eye, extremely faintly 
granular and striated under the lens: at the very margin of the calicles are 
short costal ridges corresponding with the septa. 
The calices are sub-circular and deep, and their cavities are very little 
encroached upon by the narrow septa: these are in six systems of three com- 
plete cycles, are almost all of one size, and are slightly exsert; their surfaces 
are roughened by small spicules. 
There is a deep-seated spongy-trabecular columella of some size, but there 
are no pali. 
Colour white. Diameter of calices 4 millim., or a little less. 
4, 
i | 
