ALCYONARIA WHITELEGOE. 311 



The polyps arise at nearly right angles, some are inclined towards 

 the base and others towards the summit, they occur at intervals 

 of from 2 to 3 mm.; on the lower half of the stem they alternate 

 on opposite sides, on the upper they tend to become subspiral ; 

 they are cylindro- conical in shape, and are from 2 to 4 mm. in 

 height and 2 mm. in diameter. The apical portion of the stem 

 terminates in a pair of opposed polyps, with a short blunt process 

 at the apex. 



The axis is horny, but rather brittle and of dark yellow 

 colour. 



The ccenenchyma of the stem is densely packed with large 

 tuberculated spindles, which are generally longitudinally disposed, 

 but they are frequently oblique or even transverse near the bases 

 of the polyps, and they are often bent and adapted to the stem. 



The verruca? are clothed externally with a thickish layer of 

 spicules, differing little except in size from those of the stem, 

 there are a few placed transversely or obliquely at the base, whilst 

 those above are arranged longitudinally side by side, the points 

 of the upper ones projecting slightly beyond the margin, beneath 

 this exterior layer of spicules, are others much smaller, arranged 

 transversely at the base, and obliquely or longitudinally towards 

 the summit. 



The polyps are mostly retracted within the verrucse, in some 

 few instances they are exserted, the conical polyp heads standing 

 out beyond the margins of the verrucse and exhibiting a narrow 

 neck beneath the collar, devoid of spicules externally. 



The collar is composed of a narrow ring of curved spicules, 

 with smooth blunt ends and a few low tubercles in the middle. 

 Above the collaret there are a series of spicules arranged en chevron 

 forming an eight-rayed operculum, their upper fourth is closely 

 tuberculate, their lower three-fourths either smooth or with low 

 tubercles ; their fixed ends are bluntly rounded, their free ends 

 tapering to not very acute points. 



The tentacles have on their dorsal surfaces numerous curved 

 spicules, arranged en chevron. 



The spicules of the ccenenchyma are as follows : 

 (1.) Large straight or curved spindles, thick in the middle, 

 tapering to long acute points, and closely covered with warty 

 tubercles. Size 1- by -2, 1-5 by -23, 2- by -25, 2-5 by -4, -4 by 

 45 mm. 



(2.) Large club-shaped, with the thick end rounded, obliquely 

 truncated, or suddenly tapering to an acute point, and with the 

 narrow end sharply pointed, tubercles as in No. 1. Size 1-5 by 

 2-5, 1-7 by -25 mm. 



