348 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA. 



Cortical spicules : — (i.) Clubs almost exactly as in Juncella gem- 

 macea, M. -Edwards and Haime (see Kolliker, Icon. Histiol. p. 122, 

 woodcut 1!), 1); length -087 millim. (ii.) Double stars, with sbort 

 median bare shaft, and swollen but rather unequal heads, covered 

 with three or four series of moderately sharp tubercles, closely aggre- 

 gated ; length of spicule - 087 millim. 



Hab. Port Denison, Queensland, 4 fms. ; bottom rock. . 



Obs: The two dry specimens which represent this species have, 

 unfortunately, neither of them retained their original base, but the 

 larger one was broken off at a point probably not far above it. The 

 length of the specimens respectively is 13g inches (330 millim.) and 

 8f inches (170 millim.). They are more or less bent irregularly 

 and are very flexible. 



In its small crowded verruca?, in the absence of lateral lines, in 

 its pale colour, and in the abundant tuberculation of the heads of 

 the double-stellate spicule this species differs from J. gemmacea, M.- 

 Edw. and Haime, which seems to be the nearest described species. 



ELLISELLA. 



Ellisella, Gray, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 287: Studer, MB. Ak. Berlin, 



1878, p. 659. 

 Juncella (pars), Kolliher, Icon. Histiol. p. 140 ; (pars) Kliuizinyer, 



Kor. roth. 31eer. p. 55. 

 Verrucella (pars), Kolliher, I. c. 



22. Ellisella calamus. 

 Studer, I, c. p. 060, pi. v. fig. 28. 



A specimen 9 inches (225 millim.) long in its present imperfect 

 condition appears to represent this species ; but the fusiform spicules 

 are from -07 to "1 millim. long, and the colour is dark brick-red. 

 Studer gives *06 as the length of these spicules, and does not men- 

 tion the colour. His specimens were from N.W. Australia. 



Hab. Port Denison, Queensland, 4 fms. 



23. Ctenocella pectinata. 

 Gorgonia pectinata, Pallas, Eleneh. Zooph. p. 179. 



A fine and extremely well-preserved specimen of unusual sym- 

 metry ; it has the form of the conventional lyre, being V-shaped, 

 with the upper lateral branches curved inwards. Colour pale 

 salmon. 



The front and back faces of the two main (outer) branches are bare 

 of polyps for from one third to half their length from their origin : 

 the verruca; are but slightly prominent on the outer branches ; the 



