﻿ALCTONAEIA. 
  579 
  

  

  ALCTONIID^. 
  

  

  1. 
  Spongodes 
  unicolor. 
  

   Spoggodes 
  unicolor, 
  Graij, 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  1862, 
  p. 
  29, 
  figs. 
  1, 
  2, 
  

  

  Varies 
  in 
  colour 
  in 
  the 
  spirit-specimens 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  series 
  from 
  

   pale 
  orange 
  throughout 
  to 
  — 
  stem 
  pale 
  orange, 
  lobules 
  dark 
  orange 
  ; 
  

   or- 
  — 
  stem 
  pale 
  scarlet, 
  lobules 
  crimson. 
  The 
  spiciiles 
  carry 
  small 
  

   but 
  numerous 
  tubercles. 
  

  

  Hah. 
  Marie 
  Louise 
  and 
  Etoile 
  Islands, 
  Am 
  irante 
  group, 
  13-17 
  fms. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  Eellona 
  Reefs 
  (Gray). 
  

  

  2. 
  Spongodes 
  studeri, 
  n. 
  sp., 
  var. 
  laevior. 
  

  

  See 
  Part 
  I. 
  of 
  this 
  Report, 
  p. 
  333. 
  

  

  Some 
  small 
  specimens, 
  agreeing 
  closely 
  in 
  form 
  with 
  those 
  de- 
  

   scribed 
  by 
  me 
  from 
  Australia 
  : 
  the 
  stem 
  and 
  branches 
  may 
  be 
  white 
  

   and 
  the 
  heads 
  deep 
  scarlet, 
  or 
  the 
  stem 
  and 
  branches 
  pink, 
  the 
  

   lobules 
  crimson, 
  and 
  the 
  polypes 
  themselves 
  white; 
  in 
  one 
  case 
  the 
  

   stem 
  is 
  stout, 
  and 
  about 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  head. 
  The 
  tubercles 
  of 
  the 
  

   larger 
  spicules 
  are 
  slightly 
  larger 
  and 
  more 
  numerous 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  

   Australian 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  variety; 
  but 
  the 
  clustered 
  and 
  for- 
  

   wardly-directed 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  tubercles 
  upon 
  the 
  superior 
  end 
  

   of 
  the 
  small 
  lobule-spicule 
  is 
  less 
  strongly 
  marked 
  than 
  in 
  those. 
  ■ 
  

  

  JHah. 
  Marie 
  Louise 
  Island, 
  Amirante 
  group 
  ; 
  Providence 
  Island, 
  

   Mascarenes, 
  16-19 
  fms. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  See 
  Part 
  I. 
  of 
  this 
  Report. 
  

  

  3. 
  Nephthya, 
  sp. 
  

  

  A 
  very 
  young 
  specimen, 
  in 
  spirit. 
  It 
  is 
  distinct 
  from 
  N. 
  chabroli, 
  

   the 
  Red-Sea 
  species. 
  

  

  Hub. 
  Marie 
  Louise 
  Island, 
  Amirante 
  group, 
  17 
  fms. 
  (attached 
  

   to 
  Spongodes). 
  

  

  4. 
  Nephthya, 
  sp. 
  

  

  A 
  young 
  specimen, 
  distinct 
  both 
  from 
  the 
  former 
  species 
  and 
  

   from 
  N. 
  chahroli. 
  In 
  neither 
  case 
  are 
  the 
  specimens 
  old 
  enough 
  

   to 
  be 
  positively 
  identified 
  with 
  described 
  species 
  or 
  to 
  be 
  described 
  

   as 
  new. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Darros 
  Island, 
  Amirante 
  group, 
  22 
  fms. 
  

  

  PRIMNOID^. 
  

   5. 
  Muricea 
  bifurcata. 
  

  

  Branches 
  distant, 
  lying 
  approximately 
  in 
  one 
  plane, 
  forming 
  angles 
  

   of 
  about 
  60° 
  ; 
  thickness 
  of 
  stem 
  and 
  main 
  branches, 
  exclusive 
  of 
  

   verruca;, 
  1-5 
  millim. 
  Verruca; 
  broad 
  and 
  truncate 
  above, 
  in 
  the 
  

   retracted 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  zooids; 
  basal 
  diameter 
  about 
  1 
  millim., 
  

  

  2i'2 
  

  

  