1899.] CORALS PROM FUNAFUTI. 47 



Section Scleraxonia. 

 Family Scleeogorgid.e. 

 Kerceides kore:ni Wright & Studer. 



There are numerous fragments of this species, but no complete 

 colony. 



The spicules are "92 mm.-*203 mm. in length, by -27 mm.- 

 •13 mm. 



The colony is light red in colour, with yellow polyps. 



Hah. Outer slope of the reef. Depth 40-90 fathoms. 



Previously recorded from the neighbourhood of Japan (7). 



Section Holaxonia. 

 Family Muriceid^. 



Acamptogorgia spinosa, n. sp. (Plate I. figs. 3, 4, 5.) 



There are several fragments of this form, but they ai-e all rather 

 small. 



The branches are "5 mm. in diameter. The coenenchyma is 

 fairly thick and very rough. The small branches arise at angles 

 of from 60°-90°. The polyps are borne chiefly on the sides of 

 the branches. They stand out fairly perpendicularly at intervals 

 of about 2 mm. 



Each branch bears, close to the apex, two opposite polyps which 

 are usually somewhat larger than the others. They are 1'05 mm. 

 in height, by I'i mm. across the crown and '64 mm. across the 

 base. 



The other polyps are '73 mm. X "62 mm., and -bb mm. across 

 the base. Thus the terminal polyps are decidedly larger than the 

 lateral ones. They are cylindrical in shape, somewhat wider 

 across the crown. 



The operculum forms a low cone ; it consists of the basal 

 spicules of the tentacles, each tentacle having 2 or 3 long pointed 

 spicules which divide into two at the basal end. They are 

 •36 mm. X -09 mm. (length by breadth), and rest on a sunken 

 collaret of spindles. 



The polyp spicules are of the three-rayed type with foliaceous 

 expansions from two of the three rays, the third standing 

 perpendicular to the others like a long sharp spike. They are 

 •37 mm. in height by -36 mm. across the foliaceous basal portion. 



The coenenchyma spicules are bent spindles with short branched 

 expansions on the convex side, and also smaller forms of the 

 polyp spicules. The spindles are '21 mm. x '11 mm. (length by 

 breadth). 



The axis is horny, brown, with the central core divided into 

 chambers. 



The colour of the colony in spirit is light brown. 



Depth 40-90 fathoms. |f}tn» -fc- W^ -3. 



