ALCYONARIA— J. A. TIIUMSON AND DORIS L. MACKINNON. 159 



fifteen to eighteen in a row. These spicuh-s are flat, yellow scales 

 circular, Sshaped and irreguhir ; they are smootli, oi' bear a few 

 simple warts, and their margins are deeply dentate or serrate. 

 Their dimensions in millimetres are, '255 .v -136 ; ••2*i4 x -102 ; -17 x 

 ■068 ; -153 x 1.53. A low eight-rayed operculum is formed by 

 similar scales. 



The spicules of the ccenenchyma are yellow spindles and 

 cylinders (-187 x 035; .17 x -017; -136 x 051 mm.). They 

 have relatively few, but large warts. There are also small 

 irregular bodies (085 x -051 ; -051 x -034 ; 008 x 05 mm ). 



The genera! colonr ofthec lonyis orange-brown, the polyps 

 are rather lighter. 



MOPS E A ELEGANS, sp. nov. 



(Plate Ixiv. figs. 3 and 4 ; pi. Ixviii. tig. 5; pi. Ixxii.) 



Stations 34, 41, 42, 4(, 48. 



" Several beautiful golden brown colonies, with rich dichulo- 

 mous, almost parallel, brandling. The largest is 34 cm. in 

 height, with a spread of about 5 cm. ; the branches Inive an 

 average diameter of 2 mm. The axis shows the usual white 

 calcareous internodes with tiue longitudinal Ihitiiig and short 

 amber-coloured noiles. 



There is some variety in tlie origin of the branches. In ceitain 

 cases the dichotomy is precisely at the node ; in other cases the 

 calcareous internode foiins immediately below the node a slight 

 shelf from which a new branch arises with a horny node ns the 

 tirst joint. The cccnenchyma is very thin, and, wiili the excep- 

 tion of a median line on each surface, is in great part hidden 

 by the numerous polyps. These occur in alternating rows 

 on each side, here and there encroaching on the free median 

 spaces. Most of the branches show two rows on each side in 

 their upper reaches, but in the lower parts of the colony three 

 or four rows are often seen. The polyps are somewhat club- 

 shaped, 75-1 mm. in height by about 0-5 mm. in maximum 

 breadth. They project at an acute angle to llu; axis, but liie 

 upper parts are incurved. In the upper reaches there are about 

 twenty on each side in a centimetre. 



The superficial spicules are Hat, often oval scales, with tlie 

 following dimensions in millimetres. — 073 x '060 ; 052 x 052 ; 

 38 X 55. Each scale shows a nucleus, often excentric, with 

 fine ridgfs radiating from it. Om- maigin «( the scale is entire, 

 the other bears more or less deep indentations, and the part of 

 the scale to this side of the nucleus is studded with enmll warts. 

 The whole might be compared to a ctenoid fish s^ale. ai,d they 

 overlap one another, the overlappi d part being the smooth portion. 



