Prof. Hickson, On Alcyonaria in the Cambridge Museum 373 



general statement may be made therefore that the specimen has 

 an incomplete axis. 



The spicules of the rachis, although very variable in shape, are 

 at the same time, very characteristic and can be easily distinguished 

 from the rachis spicules of any other species I have examined. 

 The most prevalent type is that of a short rod 01-0-13 mm. in 

 length, terminating in swollen extremities divided into two, three, 

 four or sometimes five convex facets having an appearance which 

 is extraordinarily hke that of a metacarpal bone of a mammal. 

 The variations even in this type of spicule are numerous as the 

 number of the facets varies at each end independently. Thus, 

 there may be one facet at one end, two at the other or two at each 

 end, three at one end and four at the other and so on; but generally 

 speaking if the number of these facets is not the same at each 

 end the excess at one end is not greater than one over that at the 

 other end. This may be represented as follows in figures: 

 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 2-3, 3-3, 3-4, 4-4, 4-5. 

 In addition to the spicules of this type there are some quadruplets 

 which are either simple crosses with rounded ends or crosses with 

 two or three convexities at the end of each of the branches or, in 

 a few cases, simple square plates with very rounded angles. The 

 most noteworthy thing about these rachis spicules, however, is 

 the absence of plain rods of full size or of oval spicules. Apart 

 from a few small spicules, which are probably growth stages, all 

 the spicules are swollen at the extremities and most of them show 

 divided hues of growth. 



In the outer layer' of the stalk there is a dense armature of 

 spicules of the same type as those prevalent in the rachis; in the 

 inner structures of the stalk there are apparently very few spicules, 

 but several of these which are found lying vertically to the surface 

 in the fleshy septa are longer than those in the rachis, being 

 0-2 mm. in length. 



Cavermdaria malaharica Fowler. 

 Tw^o specimens of this species were obtained by Dr Tmms from 

 Puri, Orissa Coast, Bay of Bengal. Their principal measurements 

 are: 



Length of rachis 27-25 mm. Diameter of rachis 35-22 mm. 

 stalk 13-10 mm. „ stalk 10-8 mm. 



The sharp distinction in diameter between rachis and stalk which 

 is a character of this species and of Cavermdaria glans was well 

 marked in the specimens. The stalk seems to be a little longer in 

 proportion to the rachis than in the type specimens, but it is 

 nevertheless a short stalk. 



The species is of some interest as it afforded the first known 

 examples of pennatuUds to be "washed ashore." 



