THOMSON AND RUSSELL— AXIFERA. ' 145 



has numerous quadriradiate spicules, more regular than those figured by Hedlund. 

 ITedlund's specimen was only 80 mm. in height by 55 mm. in breadth, but it was 

 incomplete. 



Locality. Amirante (E 25), 20-M fms. 



Previously recorded from Hong Kong, 30 fms. {Hedlund, 1890). 



11. Acanthorjorgia >««;•/(?««;«, Verrill. (Plate 7. figs. 4 & 7.) 

 Por description see : — 



Verrill: Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Ilarvuril, ii. 1883, p. 34. 

 Hiles: Proc. Zool. See. London, 1889, p. 4S. 



Studer : Alcyonaires provenant des Campagnes de I'Hirondelle, fasc. xx. 1901, p. 43. 

 (a) A magnificent bushy colony 17 cm. high by 15 cm. broad. 

 {V) Numerous smaller colonies, when alive of a dark yellow colour. 

 Localities, (a) Amirante (E 10), 22-85 fms. ; (b) Providence (D 4), 50-78 fms. ; 

 (c) Cargados Carajos (B 21), 25 fms. 



Previously recorded from Barbadoes, 76 ims. [Verrill, 1883); Funafuti, 40-90 fms. 

 (Biles, 1899) ; Azores, 454 metres {Studer, 1901). A. muricata, var. indica, is recorded 

 by Thomson and Henderson (1905) from Trincomalee. 



12. Acanthogorgia truncata, Studer. 



Por description see : — • 

 Studer : up. cit. 1901, p. 46, pi. 6. figs. 5-8. 



Two colonies, the larger of which is 9 cm. in height by 10 in maximum breadth, agree 

 closely witli Studer's description of this species. The colour, however, is greyish- brown 

 and without tlie golden yellow shown iu Studer's figures. The spicules have also rather 

 fewer tubercles. Many of the polyps contain ova and some relatively large reproductive 

 bodies (0-228 X 0176) with a distinct cavity. These will be discussed along Avith 

 similar forms in a separate paper. 



Locality. Salomon, 60-120 fms. 



Previously recorded from the Bay of Biscay, 240 metres {Studer, 1891). 



18. Acanthogorgia tenera, sp. n. (Plate 9. figs. 1 & 2.) 



Several graceful colonies, much branched without anastomosis in one plane, and rising 

 more or less erect to a height of 13 cm., with a maximum breadth of about the same. 

 A dried specimen is 40 cm. in height by 25 cm. in breadth. The general colour is 

 grevish-biown. The ccEueuchyma is very thin throughout. 



The slender verrucse arise on all sides of the axis, approximately at right angles, to a 

 height of 2-35 mm., with a breadth of about 0-8 mm. Like the general coeneuchyma, 

 they are covered with warty spindles. These are arranged en chevron in eight lono'i- 

 tudiual rows, the 24 or 20 pairs meeting at a very acute angle and dovetailing far into 

 each other. At the top of the verruca t'lesc longitudinal rows are continued into eight 



