96 Proceedings of the Poyal Irish Academy. 



Thus we see that, although superficially they may present very different 

 appearances, when we investigate the various characters nothing of specific 

 moment can be found to obtain. The question of " five to seven slightly spiral 

 rows " resolves itself into two series of two to four rows in which the bare 

 tracts are hardly distinguishable. 



JuncelM elongate! (Val.) Hickson, xv., p. 821, 



Hiekson referred some fragments to this species, but expressed doubt as 

 to the identification. He gave the following notes : — One specimen (in three 

 pieces) was 315 mm. in length. The total diameter was 3-5 mm., and the 

 axis 2 mm. in the middle region. Xearer the base the coenenchyma is 

 relatively thin or very thin, and nearer the apex much thicker. The colour 

 of the coenenchyma is pale pink and the verrucae are throughout shallow 

 domes, white hi colour. The verrucae are separated by distinct bare tracts 

 into two longitudinal series. In the portion I examined there were six to 

 seven rows in each series. Other specimens were pale red and orange-red in 

 colour. In the latter, which was 230 mm. in length, the verrucae were 

 scattered and prominent towards the distal end, but there is an almost smooth 

 coenenchyma near the base (fig. 71). 



The spicules are double-clubs, warted spindles, and a few more elongated 

 spindles, with fewer tubercles arranged in regular rows. The warted spindles 

 and double-clubs vary in length from 0'08 to 0'08.5 mm. Some of the pointed 

 spindles are 0"1 mm. in length. There is evidently a good deal of variation 

 in the shape of the spindles (fig. 72), 



The colour, the prominence of the verrucae, and the definiteness of 

 pronounced tracts free from verrucae, are also characters in which the species 

 shows much variation. 



Locality. — S. Nilandu, 2.5 to 30 fathoms (Maldives) Hulule, Male Atoll, 

 25 to 30 fathoms (Maldives). 



JYote. — In one specimen Hickson says clubs similar to those in J. 

 juncea occur ; but this probably belonged to that species. 



In the Littoral Alcyonaria Collection of the Indian Museum there is a 

 portion, 35 cm. in length, of what has evidently been a long flagelliform 

 colony ; both the basal and terminal parts are wanting. 



The coenenchyma is granular and moderately thick. The diameter is 

 almost constant throughout the part under examination ; it is about 4 mm., 

 while that of the axis is 2 mm. The general colour of the colony is orange- 

 red, but the anthocodiae are white. 



The polyps are disposed in two longitudinal series separated by two narrow 



