NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 
793 
“ To return again to the Anthozoa, and amongst them to the Madreporaria. 
A great many beautiful corals new to science were dredged or trawled from great 
depths during the voyage, but as compared with the yield in the cases of many other 
animals, the result was but poor. The trawl net is not so well adapted as the dredge for 
bringing up solitary corals such as occur in the deep sea, and during the greater part of 
the voyage the trawl was used almost exclusively, because it was found to yield far better 
results on the whole. 
Fig. 277 . — Deltocyathus italicus, Pom-talks ; x 4. 
“One of the most markedly beautiful of the deep-sea Madreporaria obtained is a 
Turbinolid, Deltocyathus italicus; it is rather small, and is shown in fig. 277 magnified. 
It is of special interest as being found as a Tertiary fossil in Italy. It was at first 
considered by the late Count Pourtales to be distinct from the fossil form, but the 
access of abundance of material broke down the distinction relied on. A very curious 
Fig, 278 . — Deltocyathus italicus. Stellate variety of Pourtalks. 
stellate or horned variety with a series of prominent spokes (fig. 278) is not uncommon 
amongst West Indian specimens, but the Challenger procured one only at Bermuda. 
“ Deltocyathus macjnijicus (fig. 279) is probably the most perfectly symmetrical Madre- 
porarian existing ; the interspaces between its radiating septa are almost absolutely equal, 
and the whole appears as if plotted out with a scale and compasses. It was dredged off 
the Ki Islands in 129 fathoms. Odontocyatlius coronatus (fig. 280) is remarkable for hav- 
ing a saucer-shaped base formed by the springing out of root-like prominences below so 
