30 Mr. O. Thomas on a new Sciuropterus. 
The structure and arrangement of their spicules and of the 
coenenchyma have been already so well described and figured 
that nothing further is to be said here. 
In our specimens the tunnel formed by the series of expanded 
wing-like scales at the bases of the lateral polyps makes a 
very convenient shelter for a slender cheetopod. 
Several beautiful branches were dredged in the Laccadive 
Sea off Piti Sandbank (lat. 10° 47’ 45” N., long. 72° 40’ 
20" EK.) at a depth of 705 fathoms, the bottom being hard 
rock and fragments of dead and waterworn reef coral. 
Of Alcyonaria there were dredged, at the same time, some 
large branches of a peculiarly beautiful new species of Stenella, 
near to S. spinosa, Wright and Studer; a new species of 
Acanella, represented by a single bush-shaped colony complete 
in every point; and a branch of Callistephanus Korent, 
Wright and Studer. Of these and other deep-water Alcyon- 
aria from the Andaman Sea I hope shortly to give an account. 
VI.— Description of a new Sciuropterus from the 
Philippines. By OLDFIELD ‘THOMAS. 
For many years there have been in the British Museum 
three specimens of a Flying Squirrel from Palawan resembling 
superficially S. alboniger, Hodgs., but proving on a careful 
comparison of the skulls and other characters to be essentially 
different from that animal. I propose to call the species 
Sciuropterus nigripes, sp. ui. 
Size large, one of the largest of the genus. Fur long, 
thick and rather woolly, not so silky as in S. alboniger. 
General colour above grizzled greyish brown, the woolly 
under-fur pale slaty grey, the straight upper-fur with broad 
pale drab terminal or subterminal bands. Ears large, thinly 
haired and blackish terminally, but with longer yellowish 
hairs on their basal surfaces externally. No longer hairs 
round base of ears, nor any cheek-tuft. Parachute above 
rather thinly haired, similar in colour to the back. Lips, 
both upper and lower, black, contrasting markedly with 
the pale colour of the cheeks and throat. 
Throat, chest, and centre of belly whitish, the hairs 
yellowish white to their roots; rest of under surface greyish 
white, the bases of the hairs slaty grey ; but the distribution 
of the patches of uniform whitish and grey and whitish hairs 
