250 J. H. ASHWORTH. 



After careful comparison with the accounts of all the hitherto 

 described species, I am unable to refer this specimen to any of 

 them, and therefore I have established for it a new species with 

 the name Xenia Hicksoni. Its characters are as follow: 



The colony consists of several cylindrical, usually branched 

 stems, arising from a single thick stem or base. The stems 

 range in length from 10 mm. to 30 mm., and in breadth from 

 4< mm. to 10 mm. From the arched or convex summit of eacli 

 stem the free parts of the polyps arise. These are smaller and 

 moderately close together near the edge of the summit, but 

 larger and further apart in the middle of the arched end. The 

 polyps (including tentacles) measure 6 mm. to 12 mm. in length, 

 and 1 mm. to 1*2 mm. in breadth. The tentacles are moderately 

 slender and 2 mm. to 5"7 mm. long. Each tentacle bears on 

 the inner side two series of pinnules, each series consisting of 

 tiiree rows of twelve to twenty pinnules in each row. Tliere 

 is usually a narrow area free from pinnules extending along 

 the middle line of the tentacle to within about 1 mm. of the 

 tip. The pinnules are conical elevations with rounded ends. 

 Those in the middle of the tentacle are about "5 mm. long, and 

 are about three times as long as they are broad; those nearer 

 the base and tip of the tentacle are somewhat shorter. The 

 body-wall of the polyps is moderately thick, and is strong 

 enough to support the polyps in their natural position when 

 the colony is removed from spirit. The spicules are round or 

 oval discs measuring 012 mm. to 022 mm. in length, '006 mm. 

 to '013 mm. in width, and about 'OOJ; mm. in thickness. They 

 are numerous in the ectoderm of the stem and of the body of 

 the polyp, but are practically absent from the tentacles and 

 pinnules. 



Round the edge of the umbellate summit of each stem are 

 a few buds or young polyps in early stages of development. 

 The specimen is light brown in colour (in spirit). 



Habitat. — The reefs of Talisse Island, North Celebes. 



This species appears to differ from most, if not all other 

 species of Xenia in the absence of spicules from the tentacles 

 and pinnules. In general form of the colony this specinieu 



