368 Proicetlinys of the I\o>/<il Irish Academi/. 



Those of the tentacles are short, warty rods: 005 x 0-015; 006 x 0015 ; 

 0-6 X 0015. 



Localities. — Persian Gulf, 48-49 fms. Laceadives, 30-50 fms. 



XXXV. — Nicella moniliforme emend. Fipp. 117 and 118. 



SeirjKayella monilijormc Wright and Studer, p. 156, PI. xxxiv., fig. 8. 

 non. Gon/onia vionili/onnc Lamx., xxv., p. 420. 

 nee. Scirpearella vumiliforvie Thomson and Hendei-son, xl., p. 82. 

 nee. Scirpcami monili/ormis Gray xii., p. 39. 



Tliia species, as established by "Wiight and Studer in the " Challenger " 

 Report, is a very distinctive one, based chiefly on the character of the 

 spiculation. 



The colony may be simple or feebly branched ; the branched type-specimen 

 wa-s 505 mm. in length; and the branch arose at a distance of 215 mm. from 

 the base; one of the unbranched forms was 325 mm. in length. The 

 colonies are veiy slender and do not vary much in diameter throughout the 

 entire length. The coenenchyma is thin and coarsely granular. 



" Tlie axis is very deeply grooved ; ten grooves can be very easily counted 

 on the older portion of the axis ; but these diminish to tw^o at the apex. 

 These ridges show througti the coenenchjnua as linear furrows." 



" The polyps, are arranged on the stem, the lower portion in four irregular 

 rows; towards the apex they are alternate and arranged on either side 

 of the stem; while for the first GO mm. of the stem, counting from the ba.sal 

 ilisk, they are al^sent They are retractile within the well marked but 

 shallow vemicae ; these latter measure at their base 1 mm. An occasional 

 verruca will l>e found larger and more elevate<l than the rest, measuring 

 l"5 mm. in diameter and the same in height ; these generally are to be found 

 near the summit of the axis." 



The dispasition of the vemicae is in two longitudinal series; and the two 

 bare tracts are marked by distinct furrows larger than the others. 

 Unfortunately Wright and Studer give no figure of the colony itself ; and, as 

 the figure of spicules is somewhat misleafling, we have thought it advisable 

 to add to this memoir two figures from the tjT)e-specimen in the British 

 Mu.seum (figs. 117 ", ^, and r). 



The colour in spirit is white. 



The nature of the spicides in this spiecies and also their relative 

 proportions are very striking, and mark it ofl' as distinct. The following four 

 types can easily be identified :^«) long, comparatively slender spindles, 

 covered with coarse spines or small warts; (i) long, thick spindles, very 



