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XIX. — The Alcyonaria of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal. Alcyonacea. 

 By J. Stuart Thomson, Ph.D., F.L.S. (With Four Plates.) 



(MS. received January 10, 1910. Read January 10, 1910. Issued separately September 21, 1910.) 



The following is the first of a series of papers which I intend to issue on South 

 African Alcyonaria. During a lengthened residence at the Cape of Good Hope, I 

 devoted special attention to the Alcyonaria collected on board the Government steam 

 trawler Pieter Faure. Professor Hickson has contributed two papers on Cape 

 Alcyonarians to the volumes Marine Investigations in South Africa ; but since then 

 a large number of forms have been dredged, and there still remain in the collection 

 entrusted to me many unidentified and undescribed species. In this first instalment I 

 have confined myself to the Alcyonacea. The present work has been carried on in the 

 Zoological Institute and Museum of Natural History, Berne, and it would be difficult 

 to overstate my indebtedness to Professor Studek, who, besides giving me much 

 valuable advice, stimulus, and encouragement, placed the entire literature of the subject 

 at my disposal. 



I have also to express my indebtedness to Professor J. D. F. Gilchrist, Cape Town, 

 who on my return to Europe entrusted this collection to me for report. This and other 

 extensive collections were made under the auspices of the Cape Government, whose 

 servant I was for a term of several years.* The photographs were taken in the 

 Zoological Institute, Berne, and for help with these I have to thank Dr F. Baumann, 

 assistant in that department. Professor Hickson has already given a summary 

 of the species previously recorded from South Africa, and I hope to deal more 

 fully in a later paper with the distribution of Alcyonaria on the coast of Cape Colony 

 and Natal. 



The species described in the present paper are as follows : — 



Bellonella studeri, n. sp. From St Francis Bay, near Port Elizabeth, 23-25 

 fathoms, p. 550. 



Bellonella rubra, Brundin. (Locality not recorded), p. 554. 



Metalcyonium clavatum, Pfeffer. From Umhloti river mouth, 40 fathoms, and 

 Tongaati river mouth, 36 fathoms, (Natal), p. 556. 



Metalcyonium natalensis, n. sp. From Umhloti river mouth, 39-40 fathoms, 

 (Natal), p. 559. 



* I also received a grant of £20 towards the expenses of this paper from the South African Association for 

 the Advancement of Science. 



TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN., VOL. XLVII. PART III. (NO. 19). 81 



