296 CEYLON PEARL OYSTER REPORT. 



are small and seem to be conical in shape. After Carefully cutting away the sponge, 

 we found that the verrucse were conical and truncated. 



There is no differentiation between the spicules of the general coenenchyma and 

 those forming the verrucre ; in both eases they are mostly oval or spherical discs 

 covered with rough warts and sometimes with an internal boss. There are also some 

 rough warty spindles. The spicules measure, length by breadth in millimetres, as 

 follows : 



(1.) Globular discs, O'l X O'l ; 0'14 X 0'14 ; 0'14 X 0'08 ; O'll X 0'105. 

 (2.) Spindles, 0'26 X 0"038 ; 0'12 X 0'025 ; 0'16 X 0'03. 



The colour of the colony when devoid of the sponge is a greyish- white. 



Acamptogorgia atra, n. sp. 



This species is represented by a complete colony, measuring 211 millims. in height 

 and 98 millims. in maximum width. 



The axis is horny, almost black at the base, but light brown in the younger- 

 branches. The stem is almost of the same diameter throughout its whole length. 

 It measures 4 millims. in diameter at the base and 3 '9 millims. at the tip of the main 

 branch. The branching is confined to one plane. The branches arise at a right 

 angle, but soon turn upwards and run roughly parallel with the main stem. 



The polyps are restricted to the lateral edges of the stem and branches, but here 

 and there they appear either on the back or on the front. They stand out almost 

 perpendicularly to the stem and branches at intervals of about 2 millims. Each 

 branch bears close to its tip 3 or 4 polyps, none of which can be said to occupy the 

 end of the branch. 



The colony is black in colour, though it presents a greyish appearance owing to its 

 being closely coated with a sponge. 



Locality : Ceylon seas. 



Acamptogorgia spinosa, HILES. 



This species is represented by several colonies, two of which give the following 

 measurements : 



(A.) (B.) 



Height of colony 76 millims. 74 millims. 



Maximum width of same . . 39 ,, 42 ,, 



A finer, but much weathered specimen afterwards found in the collection measured 

 15 centims. by 15 centims. ; it was branched in one plane and showed much anastomosis. 



The polyps on the branches vary from - 6 millim. to 07 millim. in length and from 

 0'5 millim. to 0'6 millim. in diameter. In a few of the polyps a height of 0'9 millim. 

 may be reached. The spicules in the present specimens are slightly larger than in 



