196 THE GORGON ACEA COLLECTED BY DR WILLEY. 



The spicules are spindles with a few blunt spines. Some are long and broad 

 and have only 1 or 2 spines, but these are rare. On the polyps they are arranged 

 en chevron in 8 ascending rows, and the polyp is distinctly divided into 8 lobes which 

 are continuations of the ridges formed by the rows of spicules. There are no spicules 

 transversely arranged either in the upper or the lower part of the polyp. The colour 

 in spirit is white. The axis is yellow. 



This species differs from Chrysogorgia desbonni, Duchassaing and Michelotti (1), in the 

 position and shape of the calyces and in the arrangement of the spicules in the lower 

 portion of the calyces, where they are not transversely placed. It differs in the same 

 point from Chrysogorgia fewkesii, Verrill (3). 



Habitat. Talili Bay, New Britain. 



Family. Isidae. 



Sub-fa in it;/. MoP.sEIX AE. 



Primnoisis ambigua, Wright and Studer. (PI. XXII. Fig. 11.) 



Only two very small colonies have been preserved. The axis shows fairly short, 

 calcareous joints, cylindrical and longitudinally fluted. 



The ends of the twigs are formed by a short, calcareous joint. 



In the stem and branches the calcareous joints are 2"2 mm. in length and the 

 homy joints ■12 mm. Thus both are much smaller than in the < 'hallenger specimen. 

 But the calcareous joints are larger in proportion than the horny joints. 



The diameter of the axis is 2 mm. 



The branches are given off from the calcareous joints, but rather irregularly, some 

 of the joints bearing no branches. They spring from a small, calcareous projection, 

 followed by a horny joint. 



The spicules are longish, with strongly toothed edges. In the calyces the spicules 

 are transversely placed, with sharp teeth on the margin which interlock with those of 

 the next plate. 



The spicules vary in size, some being '18 mm. long x '13 mm. in diameter, others 

 '16 x - 08 mm., and others again - 12 x •02 mm. 



The spicules are therefore somewhat smaller than those of the type specimen, 

 Wright and Studer (6), which measure "28 x 1 mm. — 17 x "05 mm. 



The coenenchytna is thin and transparent and preserved only in patches. 



The club-shaped polyps are fairly numerous on the twigs and directed obliquely 

 upwards; they measure 6 — •7 mm. in height and are about 6 mm. apart. In the 

 type specimen they are - 8 — 1 mm. high. 



The calcareous and horny joints iu the specimen in the Challenger collection 

 measure 2'5 — 4 mm. and "5 — 1 mm. respectively. Thus the proportionate lengths differ. 



These fragments differ from the type specimen in three small points of measurement, 

 differences which are not of sufficient importance to justify a new species. 



Habitat. Sandal Bay, Lifu. 



Previously recorded from Kerguelen Island. Depth, 10 — 80 fathoms. 



