they are double spheres, and ovals covered with zoned compound warts. If a waist is indicated, 
as in the double spheres and some ovals, it is very narrow and inconspicuous. Common dimensions 
are: — 0.16X0.11 mm.; 0.09 X 0.09 mm. 
As a young form of N. duriuscula n. sp. we are inclined to interpret a small specimen 
from Station 51, standing 1.4 cm. in height. (There is in this case some approach to N. splendens 
n. sp.). The ground colour is yellowish, and the polyps are red. But the calyx and the non- 
retracted portion of the polyp are each about 1 mm. in height. The polyp spicules are (a) slender 
straight or curved red spindles with comparatively few warts (0.32X0.03 mm.); the cortical 
spicules include ( 3 ) short broad spindles with many compound zoned warts (0.22X0.1 mm.); 
(c) ovoid and almost spherical forms beset with compound warts (0.1 X 0.08 mm.); (d) minute 
bodies like irregular capstans (0.04X0.02 mm.), and (e) warty crosses (0.2 X 0.15 mm.). 
6. Nidalia grayi n. sp. (Plate II, Fig. 2). 
Stat. 164. i°42 / .5 S., i30°47 / .5 E. 32 M. Sand, small stones and shells. 1 Ex. 
Stat. 310. 8° 30'S., 1 19 0 765 E. 73 M. Sand, with few pieces of dead coral, 1 Ex. 
If the genus Nidalia is defined as an Alcyoniid, unbranched, with a sterile stalk and a 
polyp-bearing region, with a distinct non-retractile calyx and a retractile upper polyp, the 
specimen here described is a Nidalia. But it differs from all known species, unless possibly 
N. indica (= Bellonella indica ), in having no spicules in its retractile polyp-body. 
A small and damaged specimen from Station 310 stands 1.9 cm. in height above its 
detached base, and has an average breadth of 5 mm.. It has a deep yellow colour. The upper 
portion is thickly beset with distinct but low calyces, 8-lobed; and the retractile polyp portion 
often projects for about a millimetre. The broken end of the basal part of the colony shows 
the closely packed large and small lumina of the long canals. The canal-walls show a large 
number of small spicules. 
The spicules include the following types: 
(1) very simple narrow rodlets, with two whorls of short knobs. A common length is 0.09 mm.; 
(2) long fusiform types, with 4 or more whorls of warts, the two near the middle being larger, 
readily derivable from (1). Maximum length 0.15 mm.; 
(3) minute capstans with knobbed ends, readily derivable from (1), by shortening the rod and 
prolonging the knobs; up to 0.6 mm. in length; 
(4) larger capstans with more knobbed and irregular ends; up to 0.1 mm. in length; 
(5) numerous quadriradiates of various sizes; 
(6) some irregularly branched relatively smooth rodlets. 
In a specimen from Station 164, there are very numerous capstans, some of which 
might be described as double spheres. That is to say, the two ends are more expanded and 
bear more prominent warts, while the median “waist” is very short. But there are gradations 
connecting them with type (1), which we regard as the starting-point. In the same specimen 
there are far fewer spindle-types (2), but there are many irregularly branched rodlets of type (6). 
In our judgment no systematic importance can be attached to the relative numbers of different 
types of spicule, especially when they are nearly related in their main structure. 
