150 " THETIS SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



Our species differs from Hickson'.s in the absence of the char- 

 acteristic purple colour, the presence of a distinct stalk-portion, 

 the sparser distribution of the polyps, the larger size of the 

 polyp spicules, and the simpler character of the coenenchyiua 

 spicules, tiie double-clubs in Alcyoniutnpurpureumhemg figured 

 with at leHst four whorls of warts. The powdered appearance of 

 the surface of the coeuenchyma in our specimens is exceedingly 

 characteristic. 



Locality. — Manning Bight, 22 fathoms. 



Famt/y NEPHTHYIDAE. 



Genus LITHOPHYTUM, Forskal. 



LITHOPHYTUM FLABELLUM (Q.G.) 



Lithophylnm JlabeUum, Kiikenthal, Versuch. einer Revision 

 der Alcyonarien, ii. Die Familie der Nephthyiden, i. Theil. 

 Zool. Jahrb., xix., 1903, p. 111. 



A single catkin of this species was found among some broken 

 fragments in the pi-esent collection. 



Locality. — Coast of New South Wales. 



Previouslj' recorded from Zanzibar, Solomons, Tumbatu, New 

 Ireland, Carteret Harbour, and Egniont. 



Genus DENDRONEPHTHYA, Kiikenthal. 



{Spongodes in part). 



DENDRONEPHTHYA WAITEl, sp. 7iov. 



(PL Ixii., tig. 4 : PI, Ixv., tig. 2 ; PL ixvii., fig. 3.) 



Station 25. 



Several compact, bushy colonies, from 5 to 7 cm. in height, 

 represent this interesting species. The specimens are all intact, 

 and show great uniformity in their mode of growth. From a 

 luxuriantly-rooting basal attachment rises a somewhat flaccid 

 stalk, which just above the roots has a diameter of 10 mm., but 

 swells out to IG mm. higher up. At a height of about 2 cm. the 

 stem is surrounded by foliaceous expan.sions bearing polyps along 

 their edges. Above this, numerous small branches come off, and 

 the stem finally divides into two main branches, which ramify 

 extensively. The stem tends to be exposed on one side in its 

 upper reaches, as there is a much sparser occurrence of branches 

 on one side than on the other. 



