26 



several anastomoses. Almost immediately above the first branch the main stem is rather abruptly 

 bent to one side and gives off numerous lateral branches which are irregularly spaced and 

 often compound and anastomose through their branchlets with other branches, forming a loose 

 and irregular network of very delicate texture. Many of the branchlets are not more than 

 .5 mm. in diameter, while the larger branches are scarcely i mm. thick. The calyces are 

 irregularly but rather thickly distributed on all sides of the terminal twigs, and on three sides 

 of the others. They average a little more than i mm. apart from summit to summit. 



The individual calyces are small but prominent for the genus, being in the shape of a 

 dome averaging about .8 mm. in height and 1.5 mm. in diameter at base. The margin is 

 surrounded by eight lobes and the walls are provided with eight rather indefinite longitudinal 

 ribs which are also seen in the general coenenchyma as rude longitudinal corrugations resembling 

 the bark of a tree. There is a superficial layer of small oval spicules and minute double heads 

 in the calyx walls, beneath which are larger regular spindles. The polyps are completely 

 retracted and much flattened or disk-shaped in retraction. They are provided with a rather 

 weak collaret with the spindles arranged en chevron on tentacle bases. There are rather 

 narrow longitudinal bands of spindles on the dorsal surfaces of the tentacles. 



The a.xis is the typical one as described for the genus. 



Spicules. These differ materially from other forms in this genus. There is a superficial 

 incomplete layer of quite small double heads or dumb-bell-shaped forms under which is a much 

 thicker layer of comparatively large spindles, often curved, with thick-set Verrucae arranged in 

 regular whorls. 



Color. The colony is a very light grayish brown. 



General distribution. Type locality. Andaman Islands, Indian Ocean; also from the 

 Laccadives. Although much more delicate that the type described by Thomson and Henderson, 

 this form agrees well with that .species. The describers speak of spicules which they call 

 "double clubs", but their measurements show that they are double heads, as the term is used 

 in the present work. ".Stellate forms" would appear when double heads were viewed end on. 



3. Silber ogorgia kollikeri Wright and Studer. 



Snberogorgia kollikeri Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1S89, p. 167. 

 Suberogorgia kollikeri (var. ceylonensis) Thomson. Ceylon Pearl Oyster Report. Appendix to 



Alcyonaria, 1905, p. 171. 

 Snberogorgia kollikeri (var. ceylonensis) Thomson and Simpson. The Alcyonaria of the Indian 



Ocean, II, 1909, p. 164. 



Stat. 164. i°42'.5 S., I30°47'.5 E. 32 meters. Sand, small stones and shells. 



Stat. 273. Anchorage off Piilu Jedan, East coast of Aru Islands. 13 meters. Sand and shells. 



Stat. 274. 5°28'.2S., 134° 53'. 9 E. 57 meters. Sand and shells. Stones. 



Stat. 305. Mid Channel in Solor Straits, off Kampong Menanga. 113 meters. Stony. 



Stat. 310. 8°30'S., 1 19° 7'. 5 E. 73 meters. Sand with few pieces of dead coral. 



Colony roughly flabellate in form, not reticulate, 14.5 cm. in height. The base is 

 attached to a small dead coral. The main stem eives off a stub of a branch 1.6 cm. from its 



