122 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Those of the tentacles are short, warty rods : 0-05 x 0-015 ; 0-06 X 0-015 ; 

 0-6 X 0-015. 



Localities. — Persian Gulf, 48-49 fms. Laccadives, 30-50 fms. 



XXXV. — Nicella moniliforme emend. Figs. 117 and 118. 



Scirpearella nioniliforme Wright andStuder, p. 156, PI. xxxiv., fig. 8. 

 non. Gorgonia moniliforme Lamx., xxv., p. 420. 

 nee. Scirpearella moniliforme Thomson and Henderson, xl., p. 82. 

 nee. Scirpearia monilifm'mis Gray xii., p. .39. 



This species, as established by Wright and Studer in the " Challenger " 

 Report, is a very distinctive one, based chiefly on the character of the 

 spiculation. 



The colony may be simple or feebly branched ; the branched type-specimen 

 was 505 ram. in length; and the branch arose at a distance of 215 mm. from 

 the base ; one of the uubranched forms was 325 mm. in length. The 

 colonies are very slender and do not vary much in diameter throughout the 

 entire length. The coenenchyma is thin and coarsely granular. 



" The axis is very deejDly grooved ; ten grooves can be very easily counted 

 on the older portion of the axis ; but these diminish to two at the apex. 

 These ridges show through the coenenchyma as linear furrows." 



" The polyps are arranged on the stem, the lower portion in four irregular 

 rows; towards the apex they are alternate and arranged on either side 

 of the stem; while for the first 60 mm. of the stem, counting from the basal 

 disk, they are absent. They are retractile within the well-marked Ijut 

 shallow verrucae ; these latter measure at their base 1 mm. An occasional 

 verruca will be found larger and more elevated than the rest, measuring 

 1-5 mm. in diameter and the same in height ; these generally are to be found 

 near the summit of the axis." 



The disposition of the verrucae is in two longitudinal series; and the two 

 bare tracts are marked by distinct furrows larger than the others. 

 Unfortunately Wright and Studer give no figure of the colony itself ; and, as 

 the figure of spicules is somewhat misleading, we have thought it advisable 

 to add to this memoir two figures from the type-specimen in the British 

 Museum (figs. 117 a, b, and c). 



The colour in spirit is white. 



The nature of the spicules in this species and also their relative 

 proportions are very striking, and mark it off as distinct. The following four 

 types can easily be identified: — («) long, comparatively slender spindles, 

 covered with coarse spines or small warts ; (b) long, thick spindles, very 



