226 



MR. S. O. RIDLEY ON ALCYONARIA 



besprinkled with the autozooids at intervals of about 5 to 3 mil- 

 lim. on the edges, of about 2 to 7 millim. (usually about 4 millim.) 

 on the faces of the lobes and folds of the pileus. Siphonozooids 

 depressed, about two in number to a millimetre ; the autozooids 

 on margins of folds of pileus, and on parts of their faces, having 

 their margins flush with the surface ; those on the upright lobes 

 and to some extent on the faces of the folds (and more so in older 

 than younger colonies) prominent, rising gradually, like truncate 

 hillocks, up to about 1*5 millim. high, a bare 1 millim. in width 

 at opening. Texture in spirit stiff but very brittle. 



Colour in spirit cream-colour, or dirty white, or with a very 

 slight reddish or brownish tint. 



Spicules (measurements including tubercles) : — 



A. Zooid-bearing portion. — I. In walls of siphonozooid tubes, 

 fusiform; those near outside of colony more cylindrical. (1) 

 Broader; both ends tapering to sharp points or blunted ; tubercles 

 in 6-8 distinct whorls, size about *25 to '29 by "088 to '09 millim. ; 

 tubercles generally low, broad, flattened, with numerous but slight 

 secondary tubercles. (2) Similar to (1), but rather slenderer, 

 and with only a few median tubercular whorls well pronounced, 

 the tubercles narrower, more punctiform, size about '29 to '35 by 

 *05 millim. — II. (3) On surface of corallum, subclavate, similar 

 to (2), but with one end blunted, the other fairly sharp; beset 

 with small simple tubercles, and with about four rather irregular 

 whorls of medium-sized, not very broad or rough tubercles, size 

 about '21--25 by '053 millim. 



B. Stem (special spicules). — 1. Deep: — Subcylindrical, i. e. 

 tapering to more or less rudely blunted, much tubercled ends, 

 often showing a more or less distinct subterininal whorl of 

 tubercles ; shaft with broad bare, median space, and two very 

 pronounced whorls of broad flattened tubercles covered by 

 minute secondary ones, with distinct spaces between these whorls 

 tliemselve8 and between the whorls and the ends ; size about 

 "21 to '25 by '09 to 1 millim. Also large whorled fusiform 

 spicules (? belonging to siphonozooid tubes). 2. Superficial: — 

 Chessman-like, i. e. clavate, with blunt outer end, covered with 

 rather prominent simple, or almost simple, rounded or nearly 

 pointed tubercles ; the shaft rather slender, bearing two median, 

 very definite wheel-like whorls of rather prominent roughened 

 or filigreed tubercles, with a distinct intermediate bare space; 

 l be inner end more or less pointed, with tubercles resembling those 



