[CEYLON PEARL OYSTER FISHERIES-1905-SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS, No. XX.] 



REPORT 



ON THE 



ALCYONARIA 



COLLECTED BY 

 PROFESSOR HERDMAN, AT CEYLON, IN 1902. 



BY 



PROFESSOR J. ARTHUR THOMSON, M.A.. UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN, 



AND 



W. D. HENDERSON, M.A., B.Sc., CARNEOHE SCHOLAR,* UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN. 



[WITH SIX PLATES.] 



THE rich collection of Ceylonese Alcyouariansf here reported on was made in 1902 

 from the Pearl Oyster Banks in the Gulf of Manaar, by dredging within the 

 100-fathom line oft' Trincomalee and oft' Galle, and in adjacent littoral areas. The 

 localities are more precisely referred to in Professor HERDMAN'S " Narrative " in Part I. 

 of the general Report (1903). 



As only a few Alcyonarians from Ceylon have been previously recorded, e.g., by 

 THURSTONJ (1890) and RIDLEY (1883), Professor HERDMAN found an almost fresh 

 field, which his faunistic genius recognised as extraordinarily rich. We have not been 

 able to exhaust the material which his skilful collecting has garnered. His collection 



* It is more than a formal duty to make grateful acknowledgment of the assistance of the Carnegie 

 Trust : Mr. HENDERSON did part of his share in this Report as a Carnegie Scholar, and I received from 

 the Trust 30 towards the expenses of preparations and drawings. J. A. T. 



t The " fleshy " Alcyoniidic, e.g., Alcyonium, Lobophytum, Sarcophytum, SckropJtyliim, are reported on 

 separately ly Miss EDITH M. PiiATT, D.Sc. (see this volume, p. 247). 



\ THUR.STON'S list is as follows : Echinorjoryia pscudosasappo, E. sasappo, E. cerca, E. fiirfurami, Pkxcmra 

 fldxllnm, Junffllajuncca, Gonjonia, (L-ptvyoryia) miniaccu, Gorgonclla umbella, Suberogorgia suberosa, Pterwi<lis 

 javtinifium, 1't. ryu'i'l, Vinjuluria jn-nrnii and Li/wiriti sp. 



RIDLEY'S list is as follows : Akyonium potydactylwn, A. sulinumle, Sartaphytum ^Miici/lorum 

 Sponyodea sp., llh i :</./< nin sp., Mcnacella, reticttlaris, Ecliinogwgia, pseudosasappo, PlcMiura flabelluin, Juncell 

 wrriwdata, 8. xulie-rosu, and (?) ('oniMiitm nMle. 



