ALCYONARIA. 325 



Stylobelemnoides, n. gen. 



Veretillid with polyps over the whole surface ; spicules long, rod-like spindles ; 

 axis cylindrical ; calyces with 8 double rows of spicules. 



Stylobelemnoides herdmani, n. sp. Plate III., fig. 5 ; Plate IV., fig. 3. 



The specimen is a broken club, 32'5 millims. in length, 2 '8 millirns. in breadth at 

 thickest upper part, 2 millims. at lower end. The axis is straw coloured, square, 

 with somewhat prominent angles, 0'85 millim. in thickness. The whole surface of 

 the club is covered with small rod-like spicules, which fonn tubular calyces with 

 8-lobed apertures. The polyps are arranged all round the club, in two intersecting 

 (but not exact) spirals. They form nine irregular rings. The siphonozooids fill up 

 the interstices, and no bare streak is left. 



The radial disposition of the polyps indicates a Veretillid ; that they cover the 

 whole surface indicates a Veretillean. As the limy bodies are long rod-like spindles, 

 the specimen must be near Stylobelemnon. 



But it differs from Stylobelemnon in many ways : e.g. , the axis is round not square ; 

 the calyces show 8 double rows of spicules ; and the spicules are much larger, 

 2 - 25 millims. in length. 



Under a magnification of 32 diameters the surface is seen to be closely covered with 

 small straight spicules, among which the siphonozooids can be seen. 



The polyp calyces are built up of similar spicules very closely packed together, and 

 lying with their long axes parallel to the length of the calyx, thus forming a stift' 

 protective case. 



The spicules are present both in the cutis and in the deeper tissue. 



Locality : Trincomalee. 



LITERATURE REFERRED TO. 



1900. ASHWORTH, J. H. " The Xeniidse." ' WILLEY'S Zoological Results,' Peart iv. 



1896. GERMANOS, N. K. " Gorgonaceen von Ternate." ' Abhandl. Senckenberg. Nat. Ges.,' Band xxiii. 



1890. HEDLUND, T. "Einige Muriceiden der Gattungen Acanthogorgia, Paramuricea und Echinomuricea." 



'Bihang Svensk. Vet.-Akad. Handl.,' xvi., afd. iv., No. 6, pp. 1-18, 3 pis. 

 1895. HICKSON, S. J. "A Review of the Genera of the Alcyonaria Stolonifera." 'Trans. Zool. Soc. 



London,' vol. xiii. 

 1900. HICKSON, S. J. " The Alcyonaria and Hydrocorallinse of the Cape of Good Hope." ' Department 



of Agriculture : Marine Investigations in South Africa,' vol. i., pp. 67-96. 



1900. HICKSON, S. J. " The genus Telesto," &c. ' Fauna of the Maldives,' vol. ii., Part I., p. 480. 

 1900. HICKSON, S. J., and HILES, ISA L. " Stolonifera and Alcyonacea from New Britain." ' WILLEY'S 



Zoological Results,' Part IV. 

 1899. HILES, ISA L. "Report on the Gorgonacean Corals collected by Mr. J. STANLEY GARDINER at 



Funafuti." 'Proc. Zool. Soc. London,' 1899, pp. 46-54, 4 pis. 



