OF THE ME E GUI AECHIPELAGO. 



243 



(originally perhnps 16 to 18 inches) long, maximum present 

 diameter 5 millim. 



The spicules differ slightly from those of the type as repre- 

 sented by the original mounting, viz. in the greater prominence 

 of the tubercles of the double stars ; they are, as a rule, decidedly 

 unequally ended in the white, and about as often as not in the red, 

 specimen ; but this point is much more strongly marked in the 

 original specimen than in that from Mergui. In fact, both in 

 this particular and in the larger growth of the corallum the latter 

 makes a considerable approach to J. juncea, that species being now 

 mainly distinguished from J. fragilis by its greater size, its red 

 colour, its equal-ended double stars, and its larger and more distant 

 polype-verrucse, and the space bare of verruca? just above the base. 



As regards colour, pale varieties of red species are already 

 known in the genus, also in the case of J. gemmacea (see above). 



Thus these specimens seem to stand midway between J. juncea 

 and J. fragilis, and may prove to be merely young forms of the 

 former species. The original specimen of the species has a very 

 flexible axis, while these specimens are comparatively stiff. 



Sab. King Island Bay. 



Distribution. N.E. coast of Australia (' Alert 1 Coll.). 

 Ctickocella pecthstata, Pallas. 



Gi-orgonia pectinata, Pallas, Elench. Zoophytorum, p. 179. — 

 Gorgonella pectinata, Kolliker, Icon. Sistiol. p. 140, pi. xviii. 

 fig. 41. 



A fine specimen, 30 inches or upwards in height (now broken) ; 

 branching luxuriant ; spiculation normal. 

 Sob. Elphinstone Island. 



Distribution. Indian Ocean (Pallas) : seas of Moluccas 

 (Lamarck)-, Torres Straits (' Alert' Coll.); North-west coast of 

 Australia (Studer) ; Cuba (Brit. Mas.) ; " India, China " (Gray). 



By the absence of this familiar species, as by that of Sub- 

 erogorgia suherosa, the Red JSea fauna shows its distinctness from 

 that of the Indian Ocean. 



SUBEKOGORGTA SUBEROSA, Pallas. 



G-orgonia suberosa, Pallas, Elench. Zoopli. p. 191. — Subero- 

 gorgia suberosa, Gray, Proc. ZooL Soc. 1857, p. 159. — Sclero- 

 gorgia suberosa, Kolliker, Icon. Sistiol. p. 142, pi. xix. fig. 13 (2). 

 — Sclerogorgia suberosa, Studer, Monatsber. k. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 

 1878, p. 666. 



