REPORT ON THE GORGONACEAN COEALS. 159 



( PL XVII. Fig. 33), have pointed ends, and resemble those of V. granijera. 

 This seems a small difference on which to found a new species, 

 especially when the character is not constant and found in all the 

 spicules. In one of the pieces from Funafuti which I examined, the 

 spicules are decidedly longer aud more pointed than in the other frag- 

 ments although in other respects they are similar. This may be due 

 simply to a difference in locality. A slight variety of form and size in 

 the spicules is of frequent occurrence in Gorgonacea, and must not be 

 considered of specific value. 



Hub. Funafuti. Depth 40-71 fathoms. Previously recorded from 

 the coast of Africa. 



This is another instance of the same species from two widely 

 separated localities, and may be compared with the distribution of 

 Acanthogorgia muricata Verrill, which occurs at Funafuti and has been 

 recorded from Barbados. 



SUBEROGORGIA VERRICULATA Esper. 



There are two fragments of this species, drab in colour. 



The double star spindles are somewhat rougher than those figured in 

 Kolliker's paper (2), otherwise the form seems to belong to Esper's 

 species. 



Hob. Outer slope of the coral-reef at Funafuti. 



LITERATURE REFERRED TO. 



1. Duchassaing, P., et Michelloti, G.— Menioire sur les Coralliaires des 



Antilles. Turin, 1860. 



2. KoLLlKER, A.— Icones Histiologicse. Leipzig, 1860. 



3. Ridley, S. O. — " Contributions to the Knowledge of the Alcyonaria, with 



Descriptions of new Species from the Indian Ocean and the Bay of 

 Bengal." Annals and Magazine of Natural History, ix., 1882. 



4. Verrill, A. — " Report on the Anthozoa, and on some additional Species 



dredged by the 'Blake,' 1877-79, and the U.S. Fish-Commission 

 Steamer 'Fish Hawk,' 1880-82." Bulletin of the Museum of Compara- 

 tive Zoology, Harvard, vol. xi., No. 1, 1883. 



5. Ridley, S. O.— Zoological Collection of H.M.S. 'Alert.' "Alcyonaria," 



Melanesian Collections. Part L, 1884. 



6. Von Koch, G.— " Die Gorgoniden des Golfes von Neapel." Fauna u. 



Flora des Golfes von Neapel, xv., 1887. 



