REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 179 



spines, 0-24-0'OG ; 0-22-0-08 ; 0-2-0-06 ; 0-18-0-08 ; O-IG-O-QG mm. Irregular branched 

 spicule 0"18-0"6 ; 0"12-0"1 mm. Bent spiny spindles 0"24-0"06 mm. Four-rayed forms 

 measure 0"1-0"1 mm., and in the polyp there are double crosses 0"l-0"04 mm. 



Habitat. — Station 177, off the New Hebrides; depth, 60 to 120 fathoms. 



Station 232, Hyalonema-ground, Japan; depth, 345 fathoms. 



Melitodes Iwvis, n. sp. (PI. XL. fig. II). 



This species is represented by a small colony broken away from its basal attachment, 

 it is about 70 mm. in height, the whole colony is fan-shaped, about 50 mm. in its widest 

 diameter. It branches frequently and ii'regularly ; and the branches anastomose freely. 

 The branches are arranged in three parallel fan-shaped masses, with a free anastomosis 

 between each parallel portion. The basal internodes are 2 mm. in diameter, gradually 

 diminishing in diameter to 3 mm. beneath the terminal free extremities, and are often 

 twisted. In length they vary from 5, 6, and 7 mm. in the basal internodes, to a length 

 of 8 and 9 mm. for the terminal internodes. The nodes are prominent, 3 mm. in width 

 towards the basal portion of the colony, and 2 mm. towards its apex. When deprived 

 of their ccenench3Tna, the older internodes are seen to be cylindrical in outline and they 

 are distinctly grooved ; they are of a faint pink colour. 



The polyps are scattered over the front of the stem and its branches, but with a very 

 well-marked tendency to a bilateral arrangement ; which is indeed clearly to be seen on 

 the terminal twigs ; they are from 1 to 1*5 mm. distant from each other. They are 

 retractile within but slightly elevated verruese, which latter are from 0"75 to 1 mm. in 

 diameter. 



The ccenenohyma is very thin. The spicules forming a nearly smooth surface, through 

 which the grooving of the internodes is seen. 



The spicules are Stachelkeule, which are frequently found with much longer spines 

 on one side than the other ; these measure 0'24-0'06 at apex and 0*02 at base, 

 018-0-04 ; 0-04 mm. The slightly bent spiny spindles measure 0-22-0-02 ; 0-16-0-02 ; 

 24-0-06 mm. The one-sided spiny spicules measure 0-1-0-06; 0-06-0-04; 0-08-0-04 mm. 

 Some small warty spicules measure 0'08-0'02 mm., and some stellate forms 0"12-0'06 mm. 



Colour a dull grey- white, with polyp tentacle spicules yellow. 



Habitat. — Amboina ; depth, 15 to 25 fathoms. 



Melitodes esperi, n. sp. (PI. XL. fig. 12). 



The colony is branched, fan-shaped, about 140 mm. in height by 150 mm. across its 

 extreme outline, the branches being all in the one plane ; the main axis is oval, with a 

 basal diameter of 10 mm. at its broadest and 5 mm. at its narrowest. The average 



