V. '07. 16 



Acanthogorgia muricata, Verrill. 



S.R. 483. Lat., N., 51 37'; Long., W., 11 56'; 610-664 

 fms. ; temperature at 550 fms., 8'34 C. ; 30th August, 

 1907. 



Two small colonies of an Acanthogorgia were obtained, 

 which seemed to resemble A. muricata fairly closely, although 

 they differed from the description of the type specimens in 

 one or two points, particularly in the length of the projecting 

 part of the long spicules round the top of the polyps. Verrill 

 states that the projecting part of these spicules is usually more 

 than two-thirds the length of the calyx. In the Irish speci- 

 mens the projecting part of the spicules is much shorter in 

 proportion to the length of the calyx. Professor J. Arthur 

 Thomson very kindly undertook to examine one of these speci- 

 mens and compare it with specimens of Acanthogorgia 

 in his -large collection. He sends the following note on it : 

 " In spite of some difficulties I should refer the Acanthogorgia 

 "to A. piuricata. It is almost indistinguishable from some of 

 "my specimens so named. I believe A. muricata to be a 

 " variable species, and I do not at present believe much in 

 "the distinctness of A. armata, A. spinosa, A. Verrilli from 

 " one another or from A. muricata." 



Paramuricea atlantica (Johnson). 



S.K, 479. Lat., N., 51 20'; Long., W., 11 41'; 468-560 

 fms. ; temperature at 400 fms., 9'55 C. ; 28th August, 

 1907. One broken specimen. 



S.K. 483. Lat., N., 51 37'; Long., W., 11 56'; 610-664 

 fms. ; temperature at 550 fms., 8'34 C. ; 30th August, 

 1907. One broken specimen. 



S.E. 500. Lat., N., 50 52'; Long., W., 11 26'; 625-666 

 fms.; temperature at 600 fms., 8' 22 C. ; llth Sep- 

 tember, 1907. Two broken specimens. 



S.K, 504. Lat., N., 50 42'; Long., W., 11 18'; 627-728 

 fms. ; temperature at 600 fms., 8'22 C. ; 12th Sep- 

 tember, 1907. 'Seven specimens and fragments. 



S.K. 505. Lat., N., 50 39'; Long., W., 11 14'; 464-627 

 fms. ; 12th September, 1907. Two small fragments. 



Several specimens were taken which seem to belong to this 

 species, as far as can be judged from the short description 

 given of the type specimen, which was found in deep water off 

 Madeira, and described under the name of Acanthogorgia at- 

 lantica (Johnson, 1862). 



These specimens form upright, rather rigid colonies, some- 

 times more than a foot in height. The branches are usually 

 not very numerous, and the branching takes place in one 

 plane. On both the main stem and the branches the verrucae 

 are numerous and are closely arranged together. This is espe- 

 cially the case in one fragment, 280 mm. long, with a diameter 

 of 7 mm., which evidently belonged to a large colony. Here 

 the verrucae are very closely pressed together, and present the 



