Deep- Sea Alcyonaria from the Indian Ocean. 555 



Family Protoptilid«. 

 Protoptilum medium, sp. n. 



An incomplete specimen, granular in texture, with spindle- 

 shaped or rod-like, colourless, ribbed spicules, free from warts 

 or spines. At the basal end there is a small globular 

 swelling with very thin Malls, above that there is a longer 

 spindle-shaped swelling; from the upper end of the latter 

 two grooves run up the rachis, one prorachidial, the other 

 metarachidial. At the lower end of the raehis the immature 

 polyps form a single row on each pararaehidial surface, those 

 on one side alternating with those on the other. As the 

 polyps reach maturity they assume a more dorso-lateral 

 position; they are large (4*5-5'5 mm.), closely apposed to 

 the stem, abruptly truncatedj and the retracted tentacles 

 form an eight-rayed star. 



The specimen seems intermediate between P. aberruns, 

 Kdll., and P. Carpenteri, Koll. 



Locality. Station 151, 142-400 fath. 



Juncoptilum Alcocki, gen. et sp. n. 



Eight unbranched fragments of an interesting new form. 

 The white axis is cylindrical and subcylindrical; theverrucce 

 are at first in short spirals, but alternate higher up, they 

 contain abundant ova (01 5-02 mm. in diameter) and some 

 flat circular embryos (0'52-0"55 mm. in diameter) ; the 

 spicules are slender fluted rods from a very pale to a deep 

 sherry colour. Above each verruca and a little to one side 

 there are two small oval openings ; if these represent rudi- 

 mentary autozooids, the specimens approach Lepioptllam, 

 but differ in having appressed verrucse Avithout projecting 

 spines ; if they represent siphonozooids, the specimens 

 approach ProtojJtilum, but differ in not having the polyps in 

 groups of three or two. The occurrence of viviparity, as iu 

 Hiekson's Gorgonia capensis, is of interest. 



L&calily. Station 2'6\, 836 fath. 



Microptilum Willemoesi, Kolliker. 



A complete specimen, with cylindrical axis, quadrangular 

 to cylindrical stalk, alternate biserial zooids, needle-like 

 spicules, and so on, is referable to this species. 



Locality. Andaman Sea, (550 fath. 



37* 



