ON THE ALCYONARIANS. 7 



spines ; others are more regular, boomerang-like, with spines and tubercles only ; 

 others again are almost smooth with only a few small warts. 



The following measurements were taken : complex clubs, 0'8 to 0'9 mm. in length 

 by 0'45 between the extremes of the spreading heads ; broad almost straight spindles, 

 0'65 x 0'2 mm.; narrow curved spindles, 0'7 x 0'04, 0'5 x 0'05, 0'4'25 x O'OG mm.; 

 simple forks with few spines, (V5 mm. in length by (VI at the forked end. 



In general the colony presents a remarkably sturdy, rigid appearance, due to the 

 thickening effect of the numerous polyps which arise from the flexible twigs and branches. 

 The various specimens bear numerous epizoic animals, e.g. small Actinians, Polyzoa, 

 worm-tubes. 



This new species may be distinguished from most of the other representatives of the 

 genus by the absence of any arrangement of the verruca spicules in longitudinal rows. It 

 is separated from all by the characters of its spicules, and in particular by the large 

 tuberculate clubs with expanded divaricate heads. From P. ramosa, which it most 

 nearly approaches in appearance, and from P. laxa, it may be distinguished, apart 

 from the spicules, by the absence of any intermediate part of the stem or branches 

 free from polyps. The verrucse are distributed equally on all sides of the stem and 

 branches instead of being disposed, for the most part, on opposite sides. From P. ramosa 

 it is also distinguished by the exceedingly rare occurrence of anastomosis. Some of the 

 spicules of KOLLIKER'S P. spinosa closely resemble some of those in our species, but in 

 P. spinosa the coenenchyma is very thin, the polyps are rather sparse, and there are 

 many other points of difference. 



Localities. Gough Island, lat. 40 20' S., long. 9 56' W. ; 100 fathoms; surface 

 temperature 55'2, April 22, 1904. St Helena. 



Family GORGONID.E. 

 Gorgonia wrighti, n. sp., PI. I. figs. 7 and 8 ; PI. II. figs. 6 and 9. 



A much- branched, flexible, upright white colony with a general height of 22 

 cm. by about 10 cm. in breadth. The main stem gives off, about 25 mm. 

 above the base, a strong branch which bears long flexible offshoots, and these 

 again bear numerous usually simple branches. There are even some branches of 

 the fourth degree, and with the base of one of these another branch unites the 

 only instance of anastomosis in the colony. The branches have a fairly uniform 

 thickness of 2 mm., and can hardly be said to taper toward the blunt, rounded, or 

 swollen tip. The larger branches are very slightly flattened towards their base. They 

 all arise at angles rather less than 90, and the whole system shows a tendency to 

 spread in one plane, though here and there a branch arises at right angles to the 

 rest. The branches of the same degree are markedly parallel when not twisted out 

 of their original direction. There is a tendency in the secondary branching to 



(ROY. soc. EDIN. TRANS., VOL. XLI., 857.) 



