ALCTONARIA. 579 



AhCYONIID^E. 



1. Spongodes unicolor. 

 Spoggodes unicolor, Graij, P. Z. S. 1862, p. 2!>, fig's. 1, 2. 



Varies in colour in the spirit-specimens of the present scries from 

 pale orange throughout to — stem pale orange, lobules dark orange ; 

 or- — stem pale scarlet, lobules crimson. The spicules carry small 

 but numerous tubercles. 



Hab. Marie Louise and Etoile Islands, Amirante group, 13-17 fms. 



Distribution. Ucllona Reefs (Gray). 



2. Spongodes studeri, n. sp., var. lsevior. 



See Part I. of this Report, p. 333. 



Some small specimens, agreeing closely in form- with those de- 

 scribed by me from Australia: the stem and branches may be white 

 and the heads deep scarlet, or the stem and branches pink, the 

 lobules crimson, and the polypes themselves white; in one case the 

 stem is stout, and about as long as the head. The tubercles of the 

 larger spicules are slightly larger and more numerous than in the 

 Australian specimens of the variety ; but the clustered and for- 

 wardly-directed arrangement of the tubercles upon the superior end 

 of the small lobule-spicule is less strongly marked than in those. 



Hab. Marie Louise Island, Amirante group ; Providence Island, 

 Mascarenes, 16-11) fms. 



Distribution. See Part I. of this Report. 



3. Nephthya, sp. 



A very young specimen, in spirit. It is distinct from N. chabroli, 

 the Red-Sea species. 



Hab. Marie Louise Island, Amirante group, 17 fms. (attached 

 to Spongodes). 



4. Nephthya, sp. 



A young specimen, distinct both from the former species and 

 from N. chabroli. In neither case are the specimens old enough 

 to be positively identified with described species or to be described 

 as new. 



Hab. Darros Island, Amirante group, 22 fms. 



PRIMNOID^E. 

 5. Muricea hifurcata. 



Branches distant, lying approximately in one plane, forming angles 

 of about 50° ; thickness of stem and main branches, exclusive of 

 vcrrucae, 1-5 millim. Yerrucse broad and truncate above, in the 

 retracted condition of the zooids; basal diameter about 1 millim., 



2p2 



