REPORT ON THE ALOYONAEIA. 167 



Ridley) found it at Port Denison, Queensland ; Alert and West Islands, Torres Strait 

 (Pacific Ocean). Tlie present record extends its distribution into the Pacific Ocean. 



It is evidently a shallow-water form, with a range of from 5 to 50 fathoms in depth. 



Habitat. — OS" the Admiralty Islands; depth, 16 to 25 fathoms. 



2. Suherogorgia verriculata (Esper). 



Gorgonia reticulata, Ellis and Solander (?), Nat. Hist. Zooph., pi. 17. 



Gorgonia verriculata, Esper, Die Pflanzenthiere, t. x.kxv. p. 124. 



Rhipidigcn-gia verriculata, Milne-Edwards, Hist. Nat. des CoraUiaires, t i. p. 1"6. 



Sclerogorgia sulicrosa, KiJlliker, Icones Histiologies, Abth. ii. 



Bhipidella verticillata. Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 4, vol. v. p. 407. 



Portions of a specimen of this species are in the collection from Japan. 



Esper, who was indebted to " Garnisonprediger Chemnitz " for the example he has 

 figured, thinks it came from the West Indies ; Studer found it on the north-west coast 

 of Australia. Dr. Gray {loc. cit. ) strangely misunderstands this species. 



Habitat. — Station 232, Hijalonema-gvound, oS Japan ; depth, 345 fathoms ; bottom, 

 green mud. 



3. Suberogorgia kollikeri, n. sp. (PI. XL. fig. 2). 



Some large pieces of an Alcyonarian occur in the collection which, from their 

 sclerogorgic central axis, we refer to this genus ; they form part of an extraordinarily 

 fertile gathering made on the site of the " iTyaZonema-ground " at Japan. 



The colony, so far as can be judged from the fragments, is branched, one of the pieces 

 measures 165 mm. in height, with a diameter of 3 mm. at its base ; the branches tapering 

 to an average diameter of 2 mm. The main branches proceed from the stem in the one 

 plane ; but a secondary series of twigs grows forwards, and then grows up parallel with, 

 but at some distance from the parent stem ; but these secondary branches again give 

 origin to smaller branches, which proceed in the same plane. There is no trace of any 

 anastomosis. 



The polyjjs arise from all parts of the stem and its branches with the exception of a 

 narrow, often wavy portion on either side of the cylindrical axis, which is occupied by the 

 nutrient canals ; they are completely retractile, within well-marked verrucae, which are 

 from 2 to 3 mm. in diameteF. 



The sclerogorgic central axis is cylindrical, it is somewhat dense, and is composed of 

 a series of interlacing and agglutinated calcareous spindle-shaped spicules, which seem to 

 form a denser mesh or network than that met with in cither of the other two species. 

 The outer portion is marked on opposite sides by two shallow winding grooves for the 

 nutrient canals. 



