188 PERCY SLADEN TRUST EXPEDITION. 



strikingly tree-like form. From a slightly encrusting base there arises a very stout 

 trunk of 15 mm. in diameter. About 2-5 cm. from the base this begins to give off a 

 few rather slender branches, and then breaks up into six stout main branches, all 

 starting from about tlie same level and ramifying extensively to form the crown of the 

 " tree." The final twigs are of more slender form than the rest, and tend to be 

 pendulous; to them the anthocodiae are restricted. 



(C) Still another set of specimens, in this case from Seychelles (37 fms.), is of a deep 

 cream-colour with the polyp-bearing twigs in yellowish-brown, on which the anthocodiae 

 are distinguished as dark points owing to the deep purple shade of their tentacles. 

 The finest specimen has a height of 13'5 cm. without the basal attachment, which is 

 missing. The stem in its thickest part is 9'5 mm. in diameter, and, after giving off two 

 lesser branches, it divides almost at once into two main forks. These are of equal size 

 at the point of origin, but one comes to dominate and forms almost the entire bulk 

 of the richly branched " crown." The final ramifications bear the polyps, and are 

 markedly pendulous and of more slender build than in either (A) or (B). 



The polyps themselves are smaller in this case than in the others. They conform to 

 the Siphonogorgia {Chironepldliyci) variabilis type, on the whole, in having two main 

 spindles to form each A-shaped point of the anthocodial crown ; but these spindles are 

 smaller and more delicate, and show rather less constancy in their number and arrange- 

 ment than is usual in S. variabilis. Further, the tentacles are strongly armed with 

 minute purple spicules, and the whole anthocodia is highly retractile. 



A small specimen (Providence, 29 fms.) shows an interesting vai'iation in the size of 

 its coenenchyma spicules. It is a polyp-beai'ing fragment from the end of a branch, 

 Avhere the normal spicules are slender, dull red spindles, covered rather sparsely with 

 small, pointed warts; length and breadth in mm.: 102 X 'HO, -SX'OS, -64 X '068. 

 Among these are embedded in this specimen relatively large white and pale pink 

 spindles, very striking to the naked eye, and with dimensions in mm. of 1'75X'28, 

 1'41 X "25. These are much stouter and blunter in proportion than the normal spicules, 

 and are covered much more thickly with warts, which are large and tuberculated. 

 In other respects this specimen is of exactly the same type as (A), and must simply be 

 regarded as a " freak." But it is of interest as serving to show that the size of the 

 spicules developed is variable, perhaps dependent on certain variable factors in the 

 life-conditions. 



Previously recorded from the Maldives, Ceylon, Bay of Bengal, 88 fms. 



54. Siphonogorgia macrospiculata (Thomson and Henderson). 



= Chironephthya macrospiculata, Thomson and Henderson. 



For description see : — 



Thomson and Henderson : Alcyonariaus collected by the ' Investigator ' in the Indian Ocean, part i. 

 (1906) p. 12, pi. 4. fig. 10. 



A number of specimens agree with the description of Chironephthya maci'ospiculaia 

 except with regard to colour, which is deep reddish-brown instead of yellowish-brown. 

 Locality. Salomon, 60-120 fms. 

 Previously recorded from the Indian Ocean (11° 14' 30" N., 74° 57' 15" E., 68-148 fms.). 



