ON THE ALCYONAfilANS. 5 



verrucse appear as slightly flattened cylinders covered with fine horizontal striae, which 

 higher magnification shows to be the smooth edges of regularly arranged broad 

 imbricating scales. These are arranged in two longitudinal parallel rows along the 

 dorsal surface, those in one row interlocking with the alternate scales of the other row. 

 The upper edges of all the dorsal scales are parallel, and the two rows meet in the 

 middle without any distinct angle or keel. Each row has from 21 to 28 scales. 



On the ventral side of the calyx there are two small longitudinal rows along the 

 edges, but the rest of the surface is covered with indistinct roundish scales irregularly 

 disposed. 



There does not seem to be any special operculum, but several of the uppermost 

 scales bend over so as partly to cover the mouth of the calyx, within which the 

 retracted tentacles of the polyp can usually be seen. 



The dorsal calyx-scales are roughly rectangular, very broad and slightly curved to 

 fit the cylindrical polyp body. The upper or projecting margin of each scale is smooth, 

 while the lower or overlapped margin is toothed. The whole of the inside of the scale, 

 except a narrow strip along the upper edge, is covered with numerous small tubercles. 

 On the external surface there are numerous very fine wavy lines running from edge to 

 edge of the scale. 



The other scales are irregular in outline, sometimes with toothed margins, sometimes 

 smooth-edged ; they may be almost free from tubercles or covered with them. 



All the scales are colourless, and show an eccentric darker nucleus from which any 

 slight ridges on the surface run. From these nuclei, as is shown by polarised light, the 

 rest of the scale has been deposited in concentric zones. 



Locality. Burdwood Bank, lat. 54 25' S., long. 57 32' W. ; 52 fathoms. Surface 

 temperature 41*8, December 1, 1903. 



Primnoella magellanica, Studer, PI. I. fig. 3. 



An almost complete specimen of this species, lacking only a small part of the basal 

 region. The stem reaches a height of 148 mm., but towards the lower end the 

 coenenchyma has disappeared, exposing the brown axis for about 15 mm., while for the 

 next 30 mm. the whorls of polyps are broken and incomplete. 



The specimen agrees with the description of P. magellanica given in the Challenger 

 Report except in the following particulars. In the Challenger specimen the number 

 of polyps in a whorl was 8; in the Scotia specimen there are 9, 11, 12, 13, 10, 12, 

 12, 13, in the various whorls counted. In the Challenger specimen the opercular 

 scales were in length and breadth 0'48 x 0'2 mm., while the corresponding measurements 

 for the Scotia specimen are 0'65 x 0'35, 0'625 x 0'375 mm. Similarly for the calyx 

 scales, the measurements for the Challenger specimen were 0'31 x 0'3, 0'36 x 0'37 ; 

 and for the Scotia specimen 0'3 x 0'3, 0'425 x 0'35, 0'3 x 0'25. Thus there are 

 decidedly larger dimensions in the scales of the Scotia specimen. The larger and 



(ROY. soc. EDIN. TRANS., VOL. XLI., 855.) 



