578 



A L C Y O N A R I A. 



BY 



STUA11T 0. RIDLEY. 



The scries of Alcyonaria collected in this district is small, but would 

 no doubt, from what has been recorded from Mauritius by other 

 authors (e. g. by Studcr, Mobius, and myself), have been largely in- 

 creased had time and apparatus for the investigation of depths 

 exceeding 30 fathoms been available. As will be seen below, the 

 Amirantes and outlying Mascarene localities supply most of the 

 species — a circumstance which is satisfactory, inasmuch as (with the 

 exception of the Seychelles Islands, where Dr. E. P. Wright made 

 collections) the Alcyonaria of this part of the district have been 

 hitherto practically unknown. Two of the eight species recorded 

 (viz. Spongodes studeri, n» sp., and JunceUu gemmaeea)were obtained 

 by the ' Alert ' in the Australian seas as well ; of the remainder, the 

 species of Wrightella are probably confined to the Eed Sea and its 

 neighbourhood. The second new species (Muricea bifurcata) also 

 exhibits Australian affinities. 



Distribution, within that area, of Alcyonaria obtained in the Western 



Indian Ocean. 



Family ALCYONIID^:. 



1. Spongocks unicolor, Gray 



- studeri, n. sp., var. lrevior 



3. Nephthya, sp. 



4. ,sp 



Family PEIMNOID.E. 



5. Muricea bifurcata, n. sp 



Family GOKGONELLID^E. 



6. Juncella gemmacea, M.-Edw. § Haime. 



Family MELITH/EID.E. 



7. Wrightella chrysanthus, Gray 



8. coccinea, Gray 



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