30 



lower parts, and golden yellow in the younger parts of the stem aiid branches. It 

 i- very calcareous, and is cylindrical with a smooth surface. 



The internodes are about 2 mm. in length, and the distance between two 

 branches that stand directly over one another varies from 7-10 mm. Each branch 

 divides dichotomously with a predominance of one of the elements of each bifurca- 

 tion, and the branching of each main branch is almost wholly in one plane. 



The polyps are very small, and arranged on the branches in short spirals. 

 They are somewhat conical in shape, the larger 0'5 mm. in length by 0'25 mm. in 

 breadth. The tentacles are long, and have an aboral band of spicules arranged 

 longitudinally in two or three rows. 



The polyp-spicules are spindles or rods, blunt or rounded at the ends, and 

 covered by minute small spines. The following measurements were taken of 

 length and breadth in millimetres : 



0-16x0-02; 0-12x0-02; O'llxO'015; O'OSxO'Ol. 



The coenenchyma is very thin, and shows no spicules. It allows the axis to 

 shine through, throughout its whole length. 



Locality : Station 237 ; 13 17' N., 93 07' E. ; 90 fathoms. 



Chrysogorgia irregularis, n. sp. Plate II. fig. 4 ; Plate IX. fig. 6. 



This species is represented by a number of broken portions of a colony. 



There are no polyps on the largest fragment, and the coenenchyma is also 

 almost entirely lost. 



The axis is hard, brittle, and calcareous, iridescent and golden yellow, deep in 

 tint in the lower part, but lighter in the upper part of stem and branches. 



The branching partakes of the nature of a helicoid cyme, with the fourth 

 branch often rising directly over the first ; but there is no regular arrangement. 

 There is usually one polyp for each node, but on the younger branches two are 

 often found on a single node. Each polyp has eight projecting points, and is bell- 

 shaped, the wide end closed by the infolded tentacles, which form an eight-rayed 

 star, and have a coating of massive spicules on their aboral surface. 



The spicules of the polyps are chiefly rod-shaped, and are arranged in a spiral 

 on the body of the polyp. This arrangement gives place at the oral end to an 

 arrangement by means of which eight points are formed from so many sets of 

 converging spicules. The base of the polyp is considerably larger than the branch 

 on which it stands, so that the branch seems to run through the base. 



The spicules of the general ccenenchyma and of the polyps are very irregular 

 in shape, some rod-shaped, some spindle-shaped, and some very irregular and flat. 

 They are smooth, with the exception of a few of the more irregular forms, which 

 show slight papillae on their surface or at the edges. 



Locality : Station 202 ; 7 4' 4" N., 82 2' 45" E. ; 695 fathoms. 



