2 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. ' 



genus Telesto, which Prof. Bourne (1, p. 29) refers to the Steleckotokea, but 

 which Prof. Hickson (XII A, p. 348) considers should be placed in the 

 Alcyonacea — and sometimes to the large number of forms separated by 

 minute and very variable characters, as in the case of Dendronephthya. 

 These difficulties are sometimes increased by the inadequacy of the 

 diagnostic descriptions given in previous records. This may be illustrated, 

 possibly with some useful result, by a consideration of the Gorgonellid genera 

 Juncella, EUisella, Scirpearia, Scirpearella, Ctenocella, and Nicella. These 

 may be briefly included in the term " the Juncellid-group " of the 

 Gorgonellidae. 



My attention was first drawn to this group in 1905, while assisting 

 Prof. J. Arthur Thomson in classifying some Indian Ocean Alcyonaria. 

 The Indian Museum deep-sea collection contained a large number of these 

 forms, as also did the collection made by Prof. Herdman in the Ceylon 

 seas. Owing to the unsatisfactory nature of the classification of the group, 

 and also owing to the extreme fertility of variation which occurs not only 

 in difierent colonies, but even in different parts of the same oolony. 

 Prof. Thomson, in reporting on these collections, decided to give descriptions 

 of most of the specimens, but refrained from naming any but undoubted 

 species. The following note from the latter report sums up the situation : — 

 " It may seem of little service to suggest problematical species based on a 

 study of fragments ; but, as we have given some description of each, our 

 procedure is probably preferable to that of some other students of 

 Alcyonacea, who have given names nude of any description. Our impression 

 is that the elongated forms of Scirpearella, Juncella, and the like, so 

 monotonous in general appearance, so perplexingly different when one gets 

 beneath the surface, are subject to great variability." 



Ridley, in his " Eeport on the Alcyoniid and Gorgoniid Alcyonaria of the 

 Mergui Archipelago" (Journ. Linn. Soc, vol. xxi., 1888), says, with regard to 

 Juncella : — 



" This is a most difficult genus. Looking at the variations in the external 

 form and in spicules of the specimens here referred to this genus, and 

 comparing them with facts previously known about it, one is struck by the 

 extremely slight nature of the points separating some of the species. Had 

 not Juncella juncea and Jxmcella fragilis been simple, while the present speci- 

 mens of J'i//!,C(;//«g'CJ?i?nac(;« are branched, it would have been difficult to distin- 

 guish the three species,as in spiculation every fresli specimen appears to present 

 some slight difference ; while the total differences of spiculation in these 

 species are slight, and thus admit of little specific distinction. Then again 

 Juncella gcmmacea, though commonly branched, may be simple. Colour, 



