14(3 A. Alcock — Newly -recorded G orals from the Indian Seas. [No. 2. 



With specimens kept alive for a short time on board it was observ- 

 ed that the worm was able to propel the coral in a rapid series of short 

 jerky spiral movements. 



The movements were performed with great ease, aud there appears 

 to be little doubt that we have here to do with a true case of eommen- 

 salism, in which the worm serves the polyp as a locomotive agent, while 

 the polyp affords particularly effectual protection — owing- to its power 

 of urtication — to the worm. As Professors Moseley and Semper 

 observed in their species of Heteropsammia, the worm lives in a tunnel 

 hollowed out of the coral -tissue, and no traces of any adventitious 

 shell can be discovered forming a core. 



In addition to the aperture for the exit of the worm, which is found 

 in a special spnr-like process of the base of the corallum, the side of 

 the corallum about half way up is ringed with small punctures. Simi- 

 lar punctures are found in the coralla of other species of Heteropsammia 

 and also //■ terocyathus, and Professor Moseley regarded them as res- 

 piratory apertures for the use of the commensal worm. 



DENMior-HYLLiA, Edw. & Haime. 



18. DendrophyUia sp. 



From the Orissa Coast, at 10 fathoms, we have a bush-shaped 

 colony of long slender cylindrical corallifces resembling Dendrophyllia 

 gracilis, Edw. & Haime, in all respects except in the form of the 

 columella which is very strongly convex, in some cases almost styliform, 

 instead of being plane. 



Ccenopsammia, Edw. & Haime. 



19. Coenopsammia sp. 



From the Arrakan, Orissa and Ganjam Coasts respectively, we have 

 three species of Goznopsammia of the type of G. urvillii, Edw. & Haime, 

 the colonies being in massive tufts from which the units of the colony 

 project little or not at all. 



I consider it better not to name any of these species until we have 

 more material for comparison. 



Rhodopsammia, Semper. 



20. Rhodopsammia carinata, Semper. 



Rhodopsammia carinata, Semper, Zeitschr. Wiss. Zool., vol. xxii. 

 1872, p. 257, taf. xix. fig. 6. 



Kumerous specimens were dredged by Professor Wood-Mason in 

 the Andaman Sea, and by the "Investigator" off Ceylon in 32 fathoms. 

 The gemmation from the calicular margin is well seen in both series of 

 specimens. 



