524 MR. E. W. SHANN ON 



The spicules are of the usual shape and of medium size, and 

 assume the colour of the part of the colony in which they are 

 embedded. The large warty spindles of the ccenenchym are 

 tinted with mauve and do not exceed 3-0 x "3 mm. In the polyp- 

 area the spindles are more frequent than the clubs ; all the polyp- 

 spicules are more or less bent, they are either bright red or bright 

 yellow in colour, and the larger ones measure '6 X "05 mm., 

 •47 X "065 mm. (the red spicules mainly compose the " crown," 

 the yellow ones the " points "). 



The colour of the colony in alcohol is a delicate pinkish mauve. 

 The polyps are deep red, and the tentacles bright yellow. It is 

 difficult to conceive how the colouring could have been more 

 vivid or the blended tints more pleasing even before these little 

 colonies Avere removed from their natural habitat. 



For a list of the colour-variations to which this species is liable 

 to I'un, see Hickson's " Alcyonaria of the Maldives," Part I. 

 p. 488 (under Chirovephthi/a ixcriabilis), and Thomson and 

 Simpson (1909, p. 125). 



Previous!}^ I'ecorded from Mahlos Atoll, S. Nilandu, Persian 

 Gulf, Andamans, and the Arakan Coast. 



Order GORGONACEA. 



Suborder PSBUDAXOSIA. 



Family Sc lerogorgiid.'E. 



Genus SuBEROCxORGIA. 



S. suBEROSA Pallas. 



Gorgonia suherosa Pallas, Elench. Zooph. p. 191. 



iSaherogorgia suherosa Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1857, p. 159. 



iScIerocto7'gia suherosa Kolliker, Icon. Histiol. p. 142, pi. xix. 

 fig. "13 (2). 



Sclerogorgia suherosa Studer, Monatsber. K. Akad. AViss. 

 Berlin, 1878, p. 666. 



Siiherogorgla suherosa Ridley, Journal Linn, Soc. Zoology, 

 vol. xxi. p. 243. 



Sxiberogorgia suherosa Wright it Studer, ' Challenger ' Re- 

 ports, vol. xxxi. p. 166. 



Suherogorgki stiherosa Brundin, " Alcyonarien aus dem Samm- 

 lung der Zool. Mus. in Upsala," Svenska Vet. -Akad. Handl. 

 xxii. pt. iv. 



There is in the collection a bottle which contains a number of 

 fragments, appaiently the component parts of a single colony of 

 y^. suherosa. The basal portion is present and has a diameter 

 of 6 mm. ; the diameter of the terminal branches is 2*5 mm. 

 The specimen was taken in about 14 fms. of water oft" Pasir 

 Panjang. 



