418 PROP. J. A. TIIOMSOX AND MR. W. D. UENDERSON ox [Apr. 10, 



thick coating of large sjnciiles, either lying on, or protiuding from, 

 the surface, many leaching a length of 6 nun. 



On the capitulum, which is thin with incurved eilges, the auto- 

 zooids apjjeai- usually in small groups of twos or threes. Each 

 group is geneially elexated on a small piotuberance, or each auto- 

 zooid may have a slight elevation of its own. On the edge of the 

 capitulum the autozooids are moi'C numeious, and they do not 

 occur in gi'oups nor are they raised above the geneial suiface. 



The spicules are of two distinct types — (1) large spindles, either 

 sti'aight or slightly curved, closely covei-ed with small, i-ough, 

 wart-like pi'ojections ; and (2) small spicules which vary fiom 

 spindles to I'ods, with I'ough pi'ominent projections, which often 

 clustei' more closely at one end, thus giving a club-shaped 

 appearance. Their measurements are as follows : — 



(1) Length varies from 1 4'6 mm. and the breadth from 0'15- 

 0"55 mm. 



(2) Length varies fi-om 01 -Of) mm. and lireadth from 0"03- 

 0-075 mm. 



Localily. Wasin, 10 fathoms. 



8cLEROrHYTUM POLYDACTYLUM Dana. (Plate XXXI. fig. 2.) 



A complete specimen 75-5 mm. in height. The lower part of 

 the stalk is very rigid, with spicules readily visible to the naked 

 eye. The upper part is marked by longitudinal grooves and folds, 

 and is devoid of the larger spicules which are present in the lower 

 part. 



The capitulum is divided into a large numlier of small, bhnit, 

 fingei'-like lobes, on which the autozooids seem to be almost equally 

 distributed. 



The numerous small autozooids are almost all completely 

 retiacted, a few can be seen M'ith the tentacles appeai-ing above 

 the surface. The tentacles are short (0'6 mm.) and thick, with 

 the pinnules arranged in one row on either side of the middle line 

 of the oral surface. The eleven pairs of pinnules are small, cylin- 

 di'ical, and rather blunt. 



The spicides : 



I. Of the upper 2)art of stem : — 



(rt) Lai'ge straight or curved spindles covered with many rough 



tubercles, varying from 0'6-2"7 mm. in length and from 



0"15 0-5 mm. in breadth. 

 {b) Small straight or irregularly-shaped spicules with large rough 



spines, varying in length from 0'l-0'35 mm. and in width 



from 0-02-0-09 mm. 

 (c) Straight spicules with very few smooth spines, vaiying in 



length fi'om 0"2-0'7 mm. and in width from 0*075 -0"15 mm. 



They often show slight traces of four rays, and these show 



a X-marking at the junction of the rays. 



II. Of the lower part of the stalk : — 



The same types of spicules are present, but theie is a maiked 

 predominance of («). They are more varied hei'e and often show 



