REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 29 



probable that tbis was dredged from deepisb water outside the reef. The coenenchyma 

 is the least protected by spicules of all the species of the genus so far described. 



The spicules arc but feebly developed, and measure 0-77-0-05 ; 073-0-07 ; 0-2-0-03 ; 

 0-12-0-02 mm. 



Habitat. — 'Keefs, Kandavu, Fiji. 



5. Ceratoisis palmse, n. sp. 



This species is established for a few fragments of a Ceratoisis, brought up from a 

 great depth off Palma, one of the Canary Island Group. 



The axis is apparently unbranched, and consists of a series of calcareous intemodes of 

 about 15 mm. in length, by 1 mm. in breadth, with short. horny nodes. The intemodes 

 are smooth and hollow. 



The polyps are, as far as can be judged from the few present, scattered at long 

 intervals on the axis ; they are about 3 mm. in height, and about 1'5 mm. broad. 



The ccenenchyma on the axis is thin, membranous, of a dark brownish or yellowish 

 colour. 



The spicules on the ccenenchyma are either long, slender, spiny spindles, or short and 

 fusiform. Those of the polyps are large stout spindles, tightly packed ; the blunt ends 

 of some five or six project beyond the retracted tentacles, forming a fringe ; the polyp 

 spicules are also echiuulate. 



In some respects this form resembles Acanella simplex, Verrill, but the hollow axis 

 and the form of the spicules will easUy distinguish it. 



The spicules measure 3"0-0'15 ; 2-0-0'15 ; 0"4-0"05 mm. in the ccenench}Tna, and 

 in the polyps from 2-5-0-5 ; 2-0-0-15 ; 0-15-0-05 mm. 



Habitat.— Station 85, July 19, 1873; off Palma; lat. 20° 42' N., long. 18° 6' W.; 

 depth 1125 fathoms; bottom, volcanic mud. 



Genus 2. Acanella, Gray. 



Acanella, Gray, Cat. Lithopbytes Brit. Mus., 1870, p. 16. 



„ Verrill {ememl.). Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoiil., vol. xL No. 1, p. 21, 1883. 



This genus was estabUshed by Gray for Mopsea arbiisculum, Yate Johnston, a branched 

 form. It was emended by VerriU so as to include species with unbranched stems. 



Axis simple or variously branched ; internodal regions long, calcareous, solid ; nodal 

 regions short, horny. The branches when present arise from the horny nodes in twos or 

 threes. Base with root-like projections clinging to rocks or anchoring in the mud. The 

 basal calcareous intemodes are much shorter than those towards the summit. The 

 coenenchyma is thin, with fusiform spiny spicules greatly varying in size. Polyps 



