196 PERCY SLADEN TEUST EXPEDITION. 



Genus CACTOGORGIA. 



66. Cactogorgia lampas, sp. u. (Plate 11. fig. 6; Plate 13. fig. 16.) 



A representative of the interesting genus Cactogorgia, Simpson. It cannot be included 

 in any of the three species already described. 



The total height of the specimen is 'L'S era. It is incomplete, but what there is of it 

 suggests a branched torch-holder. A slender stalk-portion — 3 mm. in width — rises to a 

 height of 2-5 cm., when it bends at right angles to its former direction, gives off one 

 sliort branch, then makes another right-angled bend upwards, and terminates in a club- 

 shaped, polyp-bearing portion, with a breadth of 8"5 mm. The single branch runs 

 parallel to this, and also bears a cluster of polyps on its swollen tip. 



The whole colony is very rigid and densely spiculose. About 9-10 canals are to be 

 seen on a cross section of the stem, their walls full of spicules. The surface of the stem 

 is rough ; in its upper portion it bears deep, longitudinal wrinkles, and the superficial 

 spicules have an approximately longitudinal arrangement. Lower down they occur more 

 irregularly. The spicules of the stem are stout spindles covered with prominent tuber- 

 culate warts, and often forked at the ends ; some are quite extensively branched. Their 

 dimensions, in millimetres are : 238 X -306, 1-95 X 272, 1-53 x '25, -901 x 119. 



All the polyps, except one, are retracted into the verrucae, which cover the club- 

 shaped terminations of the stem and branch. These verrucae are directed upwards 

 towards the tip, and are about 2 mm. in height by 2 mm. across. The longitudinal 

 spicules forming the verrucae project slightly in eight rather indefinite points round the 

 margin. 



The polyp-head is large — 2'5 x 2 mm. — and is armoured with a " crown and points." 

 Each of the eight "points" is formed of about three converging pairs of spindles. In 

 the angle between two adjacent points lies a single spicule, and below the points there 

 are six rows of horizontal spindles. These polyp-spicules are colourless, straight or 

 curved spindles, with smaller, simpler warts than have those of the ccenenchyma. Their 

 dimensions are :— 1-105 X '085, -867 X -102, -69 X "059 mm. 



The long tentacles have a single row of long, slender pinnules on each side, and 

 bear small, cream-coloured, scale-like spicules (153x051, '127 X '059, 17 X '053 mm.) 

 arranged transversely along the middle line. 



The colour of the specimen is yellow-brown, with cream-coloured polyps. 



Locality/. Seychelles, 37 fms. 



Family BriareidsB, 



Genus 80LEN0CAUL0N. 



67. Solenocaulon tortuosum. Gray. 



The collection includes two pieces of colonies referable to this well-known and 

 variable species. 



Localities. Amirante, 36 fms. ; Seyclielles, 44< fms. 



