﻿ALCYONAKIA. 
  

  

  341 
  

  

  With 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  relation 
  of 
  this 
  to 
  other 
  species, 
  perhaps 
  the 
  

   Chilian 
  forms 
  described 
  by 
  Philippi(Arch. 
  fiir 
  Naturg. 
  18(50, 
  p. 
  IIG) 
  

   are 
  the 
  closest 
  allies 
  ; 
  their 
  growth 
  is 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  oiP.jtrcelonga 
  ; 
  

   their 
  spiculation 
  is 
  not, 
  however, 
  described. 
  

  

  14. 
  Plexaura 
  miniacea. 
  

   PPlexaura 
  miuiacea, 
  Ehrenberg, 
  Cor. 
  roth. 
  Meer. 
  p. 
  141. 
  

  

  I 
  assign 
  to 
  this 
  species 
  with 
  great 
  doubt 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  Gorgoniid 
  

   of 
  bright 
  crimson 
  colour, 
  branching 
  frequently 
  and 
  dichotomously 
  

   in 
  one 
  plane, 
  and 
  thus 
  forming 
  what 
  in 
  an 
  older 
  specimen 
  would 
  

   probably 
  be 
  a 
  reticulate 
  corallum. 
  The 
  branches 
  are 
  slightly 
  flat- 
  

   tened 
  from 
  front 
  to 
  back 
  ; 
  the 
  terminal 
  ones 
  are 
  short 
  (not 
  exceeding 
  

   10 
  millim.) 
  ; 
  maximum 
  diameter 
  of 
  stem 
  about 
  2-5 
  millim., 
  of 
  tips 
  

   of 
  branches 
  (which 
  are 
  somewhat 
  clavate) 
  1'25 
  to 
  1*75 
  millim. 
  

   Cortex 
  compact, 
  minutely 
  rough. 
  Verrucae 
  slightly 
  prominent, 
  

   orbicular. 
  Axis 
  flexible, 
  glabrous, 
  greenish 
  to 
  amber-brown. 
  

   Blattkeule 
  spicule 
  of 
  cortex 
  very 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  Echinogonjia 
  cerea, 
  

   Esper, 
  as 
  flgured 
  by 
  Kdlliker*, 
  with 
  shaft 
  composed 
  of 
  one 
  median, 
  

   slender 
  pointed, 
  and 
  two 
  shorter 
  alar 
  rays 
  with 
  scattered, 
  rounded, 
  

   simple 
  or 
  compound 
  tubercles 
  ; 
  foliar 
  portion 
  consisting 
  of 
  wedge- 
  

   shaped 
  processes, 
  the 
  middle 
  one 
  the 
  longest, 
  edges 
  minutely 
  scal- 
  

   loped, 
  faces 
  rendered 
  uneven 
  by 
  longitudinal 
  stride 
  or 
  angular 
  ridges 
  ; 
  

   size 
  about 
  "35 
  by 
  '14 
  millim. 
  The 
  cortical 
  radiate 
  and 
  slender 
  

   fusiform 
  spicules 
  resemble 
  in 
  character 
  those 
  of 
  P. 
  cinerea 
  (supra), 
  

   but 
  they 
  are 
  only 
  about 
  half 
  the 
  maximum 
  size 
  of 
  those 
  of 
  that 
  

   species. 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  observed 
  a 
  stout 
  cyliudro-fusiform. 
  Ehrenberg 
  

   does 
  not 
  assign 
  any 
  locality 
  to 
  his 
  species. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Port 
  Darwin, 
  north 
  coast 
  of 
  Australia, 
  8-12 
  fms., 
  bottom 
  

   mud 
  and 
  sand 
  ; 
  also 
  Hammond 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits 
  {coll. 
  hij 
  F. 
  M. 
  

   Eai/ner, 
  in 
  Brit. 
  Mus.). 
  

  

  Obs. 
  The 
  specimen 
  last 
  referred 
  to 
  shows 
  decided 
  anastomosis 
  of 
  

   the 
  branches. 
  

  

  GORGONIACE^. 
  

  

  15. 
  Leptogorgia 
  flexilis. 
  

  

  ? 
  Litigorgia 
  flexilis, 
  Verrill, 
  Tram. 
  Conn. 
  Acad. 
  iv. 
  p. 
  400 
  (edition 
  1); 
  

  

  and 
  Amer. 
  Journ. 
  Sci. 
  (2j 
  xlviii. 
  p. 
  42. 
  

   ? 
  Leptogorgia 
  flexilis, 
  id. 
  I. 
  c. 
  edit. 
  2. 
  

  

  I 
  refer 
  to 
  this 
  species 
  with 
  some 
  doubt 
  a 
  single 
  dry 
  specimen, 
  

   broken 
  off 
  below, 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  cylindrical 
  main 
  axis, 
  10 
  inches 
  

   (250 
  millim.) 
  long, 
  and 
  diminishing 
  in 
  diameter 
  from 
  2*25 
  millim. 
  

   at 
  base 
  to 
  1*25 
  in 
  greatest 
  diameter 
  of 
  the 
  somewhat 
  flattened 
  apex, 
  

   bent 
  over 
  (perhaps 
  accidentally), 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  apex 
  points 
  down- 
  

   wards 
  ; 
  two 
  branches, 
  3(5 
  and 
  32 
  millim. 
  respectively 
  in 
  length, 
  

   decidedly 
  flattened, 
  and 
  having 
  an 
  apical 
  diameter 
  of 
  1-25 
  and 
  2-0 
  

   millim. 
  respectively, 
  are 
  given 
  off 
  at 
  angles 
  of 
  about 
  45'^ 
  and 
  at 
  an 
  

  

  * 
  Icon. 
  IlisLiol. 
  pi. 
  xvii. 
  fig. 
  l7. 
  

  

  