11 



The colour of the stem niid branches is white, the twigs orange red, and the 

 polyp heads appear brick red. 



Locality: Bay of Bengal ; 88 fathoms. 



Lithophytum indicum, n. sp. 



This species is represented by a small fragment, 2 I mm. lon'j- and 14 mm. 

 broad. 



The basal attachment is absent, and so also is the lower part of the .-(mi, so 

 that the exact shape of the colony is not known. The upper part of the stem 

 divides into three lobes or short branches of nearly equal si/e. 



The polyps are arranged on the branches at fairly wide intervals, and in a 

 slightly contracted condition are 2 mm. in height and 1 mm. in basal diameter. 

 The tentacles are about 0'6 mm. in length, and have on each side about eight long 

 slender pinnules. There are abundant ova in the lower parts of the polvps. The 

 spicules of the polyp lie transversely at the base, but just below the tentacles they 

 are arranged in eight longitudinal rows. 



The polyp spicules are spindle-shaped, varying in length from 0'15-0'5 mm. 

 and in breadth from 0'02-0'08 mm. They are covered by sparse fairlv strong 

 simple spines. A few are slightly thicker in the middle, and marked by an 

 X-shaped mark near the middle point. 



The tentacle spicules are shorter, mostly about O'l mm. in length. 



The spicules of the stem are blunt spindles or rods covered with sparse simple 

 spines, and a few irregular incipient quadriradiate forms. They vary in length 

 from - 2-0'9 mm. and from 0'03-0'OG mm. in breadth. The quadriradiate 

 forms vary in length from G'2-0'4 mm., and are all marked by an X-shaped mark 

 at the origin of the rays ; sometimes one of the cross-marks is so faint as to ,-ecm 

 to be absent. 



This species is probably to be referred to the vicinity of L. africanum ; but it 

 is distinguished by its large polyps, large spicules, and the presence of the qiiadri- 

 radiate forms. 



Locality : Station 333 ; 6 31' N., 79 38' 45" E. ; 401 fathoms. 



Subfamily Siphonogorgiuue. 

 Chironephthya variabilis, Hickson. 



This species is represented by a large number of fragments, all of which 

 probably belonged to one large colony. They present a rather striking appear- 

 ance owing to the contrast between the general white or very pale pink' colour of 

 the branches and the deep coral red colour of the spicules of the anthocodia-. 



The spicules of the anthocodire are arranged in two groups the crown and 



