432 071 Deep-sea Alcyonaria from the Indian Ocean. 



He pointed out, liowever, that viviparity had been pre- 

 viously reported in Corallium ruhrum by Lacaze-Duthiers, 

 in " Clavulaires p6tricoles'^ and in Sympodium (^Alcyonium) 

 coraUoides by Marion & Kowalevsky, in tliree species of" 

 JSepldliya (found at depths of 209-761 fathoms) by Koren & 

 Danielssen. 



In Prof. W. A. Ilerdman's collection from Ceylon we 

 found embryos in sitH in Gorgonia capensis as Hickson had 

 stated. Corroborating Marion & Kowalevsky, we found 

 embryos in Clavularia pregnans (Th. & H.) and G. parvula 

 (Th. & H.) collected by Mr. Cyril Crossland from Zanzibar 

 and Cape Verde Islands respectively. 



In the present collection we found embryos — blastula?^ 

 gastrulse, and slightly more advanced stages — in eight 

 s])ecies : — Sarcophytum aherrans, sp. n., Chrysogorgia jlexilis , 

 W. & S.J Ceratoisis gracilis, sp. n., Paramuricea indica, 

 sp. n., Disticlioptilum gracile, Verrill, Umhellula elongat'i, 

 sp. n., FunicuUna gracilis, sp. n., and Pennatida indica, 

 sp. n. ; mean\\hile Mr. James J. Simpson, M.A., B.Sc, has 

 also found embryos in specimens of Isis hippuris included in 

 the littoral collection from the Indian Ocean (see Journ. 

 Linn. See, Zool. xxix. p. 4.^1, 1900). 



We have also found embryos in a species of ScleropJiy/um 

 from the Red Sea and in the British Primnoa reseda. 



It is therefore clear that vivi])arity is by no means un- 

 common in Alcyonarians, and it will be interesting to discover 

 if it is particularly characteristic of deep-sea species. 



Some particular Facts of interest in the Collection. 



One specimen of Sarcophytum aherrans, sp. n.,is supported 

 by a siliceous axis like a thick knitting-needle, 300 mm. in 

 length by 2'3 mm. in breadth, probably the spicule of 

 Monorhapliis or some allied sponge. 



Analogous on a smaller scale is the siliceous sponge- 

 spicule which forms the support of Syinjyodium incrustans, 

 sp. n. 



The spicules of Chironephtliya macrospicidata, sp. n.. some- 

 times attain the unusual length of 8*3 mm., and some of 

 those of Spongodes uligi)tosa, sp. n., are almost equally huge 

 (8 mm.). 



Noteworthy is the great heterogeneity of the spicules in 

 some of the torms, e. g. ])latcs, disks, triangles, rods, spindles, 

 and "gull-clubs^'' in Acaiithomuricca spicattt, sp. n. 



Besides the very peculiar habit — inerusting a huge siliceous 

 rod — there are n)any interesting features in Sarcophytum 



