336 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



Obs. This species belongs to the section of Muricea, s. lat., which 

 Verrill has named Muricdla (Trans. Conn. Acad. i. p. 450). It 

 appears to be most nearly related to Muricella jlexuosa, Verrill, of 

 described species, but the verrucae appear to be larger than in any 

 species yet known : perhaps the systematic position of the species is 

 not far from Xicella, Gray. 



* 



1 0. Muricea umbraticoides. 

 Studer, MB. Ah, Berlin, 1878, p. 050, pi. iii. fig. 10. 



Rtuder's description and figures of his species (obtained from 

 Dirk Hartog Island, on the west coast of Australia, about 26° S. lat., 

 in 45 fms.) are most characteristic, with the exception that the 

 " halbseitig warzig " character of the spicules appears hardly to 

 exist, and the tubercles should be rough and more distinct from 

 each other than his otherwise good figure 166 would signify. Two 

 dry and several spirit specimens are in the collection, 185 millim. 

 (7| inches) in height. 



Hab. Port Curtis, Queensland, 5-11 fms., bottom sand and shells ; 

 also Port Molle, 14 fms. (from Australian Museum). 



ECHINOMURICEA, Verrill 



Acanthogorgia, Johnston, pars, nee Gray. 



The type species of the genus is E. (KepJithya, Stimpson) coccinea, 

 Stimpson, which I have wrongly retained in Nepkthya (Ann. and Mag. 

 IS T . H. (5) ix. p. 184), having overlooked Verrill's later remarks upon 

 the species. The type species of Acanthogorgia {A. hirsuta, Gray) 

 appears to me quite distinct generically from the two (A. grayi and 

 A. atlantica) assigned to it by Johnston. The latter agree with 

 Echinomuricea. A new species of the genus occurs in the collection. 



1 1 . Echinomuricea indo-rnalaccerisis. 

 (Plate XXXTI. figs. B, B' ; Plate XXXYIII. figs, d-d'",) 



Corallum erect, branching almost exclusively in one plane at 

 angles of about 75°. Branching fundamentally dichotomous, accom- 

 panied by unilateral pinnation. Branches given off at intervals of 

 not more than 20 or less than 6 millim., as a rule. Branches near 

 middle of colony comparatively short, viz. 15 to 40 millim., those 

 near the periphery tend to become very long (e. g. up to 160 millim.) ; 

 cylindrical, slightly clavate, being about 2 to 3 millim. in diameter 

 at their commencement, and about 3 to 4 millim. at apex in large 

 specimens, 1-5 to 2 in small ones. Axis very tough and flexible, very 

 dark brown at base, paler at ends of branches. Cortex thin, arena- 

 ceous in appearance, red. Yerrucae crowded over all parts of cortex, 

 leaving but small intervals, prominent but truncate, resembling low 

 turrets ; in expanded condition about "3 millim. high and 1 millim. 



