REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 101 



never opposite, and are about 1 to 2 mm. distant from each other. The terminal points of 

 the branches have a stolon-hke appearance ; three to four polyps, projecting divergingly, 

 are foimd immediately below these. The pol}i)s stand out almost perpendicularly from 

 the stem and branches, they are short, cone-shaped, 2 mm. high with the operculum, and 

 1 mm. in diameter. The spicules of the ccenenchyma consist chiefly of large-bodied 

 spiny spindles, which are often curved, and often quite bent into an angle, they have 

 either short spines or small toothed prominences. They often, particularly towards the 

 base of the body, present a somewhat flattened and curved form, whereby the spicules 

 arrange themselves in the form of a ring. At the summit of the curve of such spicules 

 two delicately toothed prominences occur. The average dimensions of the spicules are 

 0-38-0-06; 0-3-0-04 ; 0-29-0-03; 0-43-0-08 mm. 



The spicules are arranged on the calycine portion of the polyps in a longitudinal fashion 

 and in several layers. The lower la5'er contains flattened fonns, which are furnished on 

 one side with sharp-pointed prominences, on the other with spiny often branched 

 prominences; the so-called " Stachelplatten." These measure 0'46-0"2 ; 0'38-0'25 ; 

 '3-0 '13 mm. Over these are spiny curved spindles, often thickened at one end, of which 

 eight longitudinal rows surround the body ; each row consists of two rows of spicules 

 converging towards one another. These have an average size of 0"5 mm. by 0'05 mm. 

 The coUeret consists of curved spiny spindles placed ring-fashion. These are so arranged 

 that the horizontal row of spicules always comes into contact with a row of the body 

 spicules and with those at the base of the tentacles. They thus form supports for the 

 spicules situated at the base of the tentacles, which latter present the form of long, 

 pointed, spiny, and feebly bent spindles, of which from foui- to five lie at the base of each 

 *entacle, with their points converging inwards and upwards. These reach a length of 

 07 mm. with a diameter of 0'58 mm. The retractile portions of the tentacles contain 

 only needle-shaped, often feebly spined spicules. 



The axis is horny, elastic, flexible, of a fibrous structure and of a yellowish-brown 

 colour. The colour of the ccenenchyma is (in spirits) of a grepsh-white. 



Habitat. — St Paul's Rocks, Mid Atlantic ; depth, 80 fathoms. 



2. Paramuricea laxa, n. sp. (PI. XXVI. fig. 2). 



In this species the stem is loosely branched in one plane, with long flaccid branches. 

 The polyps, which are small and conical, arise principally from opposite sides of the stem 

 and branches, leaving an intermediate space free, which is distinguished by a relatively 

 smooth ccenenchyma. The principal axis, which at its base is a little flattened, is 

 variously curved and bent. It gives off" on opposite sides an irregular scries of small, 

 simple twigs and larger branches, which latter have almost the strength of the main axis, 

 and these end in long tendril-like drooping twigs. The larger branches give off" twigs in 



