THOMSON AND CRANE— ALCYONARIANS 131 



breadth in millimetres) 0-21 x 0-035, 0-23 x 0'04 ; 0-24 x 0-03, 0-28 x O'OS, 0-31 x 0-06, 

 0'45x0'12; (3) small forms — probably young — somewhat irregular in shape, but 

 resembling the types just described, mostly about 0"12mm. in length. 



These spicules are of a fine pink or rose-red colour. A few are colourless. 

 In the polyp the spicules seem to be confined to the operculum. They are long 

 slender white spindles, somewhat bent, and bearing a few warts. They are from 

 0-14 — 0-18 mm. in length and 0-012 — 0-024 mm. in breadth. 



The colour of the colony is between Venetian red and crimson and the polyps 

 are white. Reproductive bodies were present in many of the polyps. 



A stellifera may be distinguished from the other three species of Astromuricea 

 by the character of the spicules fringing the mouth of the verruca. They do not 

 exhibit any specially long needle-like processes as in the other species. 



Locality: — Kiu, Beyt Harbour, low water, 24/12/05; also dredged off S.W. 

 coast of Beyt Island. 



5. Echinomuricea uliginosa, Thomson and Simpson (1909), var. tenerior, n. 

 Plate, figs. 9, 10, 13. 



The Investigator collection of littoral Indian Ocean Alcyonarians includes a 

 new species of Echinomuricea {E. uliginosa) which is described in detail by 

 Thomson and Simpson in a memoir just about to be published. A variety of 

 this species occurs in Mr. Hornell's collection. 



The diagnosis of the species is as follows : A pinkish-red colony branched in 

 one plane ; the coenenchyma is thick and very rugose with spicules projecting in 

 all directions ; the verrucas are 'thickly disposed, covering most of the surface ; 

 their walls bristle with the long smooth spines of projecting spicules ; there is an 

 elevated conical operculum composed of eight groups of three spindles and a 

 collaret of two or three rows of transversely arranged curved spicules ; each 

 " point " consists of two bent spindles which touch for over three-quarters of their 

 length but diverge near the collaret, the interspace being almost completely filled 

 by a short, curved, transversely disposed spindle ; the horny axis is brown, 

 cylindrical, and chambered, firm and flexible below, soft and collapsible above ; 

 the spicules include a variety of forms, (a) some showing a projecting smooth 

 spine with branching warty arms at the base, (6) spindles covered with irregular 

 warts, (c) spindles bearing in addition to warts a number of smooth projecting 

 spines on one side, {d) irregular forms with warty branches on one side and smooth 

 spines on the other, (e) bifurcated spindles, (/) irregular plates with warty branches, 

 and {g) smooth spindles in the anthocodise. 



Locality : — Laccadives (Kalpeni Bank) and Arakan Coast, 13 fms. 



The specimen from Kutch is a small unbranched colony, 65 mm. in height by 

 3 mm. in diameter. It is more debcate in appearance than the typical Echinomuricea 



