number of stations dredged and searched in the north-eastern district,
together with the known ability of the distinguished collector,
Dr. B. AY. Coppinger, give an assurance th at from shallow water in
this quarter but few novelties are likely to be received in future.
The results obtained from the northern region (from Torres Straits
westward as far as the 130th parallel of E. longitude) are the most
interesting, hut the number of localities and stations searched here
is relatively smaller than ou the eastern side. The small number
of Pennatulidae is partly explained by the fact th at the depths
reached by the dredge did not exceed 30 fms. in any locality but
one, viz. Arafura Sea, where 32-36 fms. are recorded. One of tho
mosr important results is the acquisition of definite localities for
some interesting forms whose exact origin was hitherto unknown
(sec Leucoella cervüormis, Mopsella tex tif ormis). Several, however,
described by Lamarck, Lamonronx, aud Gray, probably coming from
this region, still remain undetermined as to exact locality. The
known range of some species has been greatly extended by this E x pedition,
e. g. Neplitliya jukesi, Muricea umbraticoicles, Siphonogorgia
mirahilis, Acaharia japónica, whose previously known habitats were
respectively—i. Philippine Islands; ii. N. AY. Australia; iii. Bed Sea;
iv. Japan.
In all, excluding the two Pennatulids as visitors from the deeper
water, the shallow waters in the districts examined yielded altogether
36 species, of which 12, or one third, appear to be new to
science, and are, with one o's.c.ogtion {Echinomuricea inclo-malaccensis),
accordiiig to present knowledge, peculiar to these districts. Of the
remaining species, two {Ellisella calamus and Leucoella cervicornis)
are not known out of Australian (N.AA*., N., or N.E.) seas ; while
Muricea umhraticoides and Alopisella textiformis are known only
from N.E. Australia and Dirk Hartog Island (AY. Australia).
Studer gives 22 other species from AA*est and N.AY. Australia
(Dampier Island and Dirk Hartog Island), and Gray 2 other species
from localities within these limits. Of these 24, 12 are not known
elsewhere ; so we have a total of 23 species not as yet certainly known
outside Australia north of the 30th parallel of latitude.
Of the species not confined to Australia, Spongodes florida, EcMno-
gorgia flabellum, Ctenocella pectinata, JunceUa elongata, and Suberogorgia
suberosa are generally distributed in the Indian Ocean ;
Sqjongodes spinosa and Solenocaulum tortuosum extend, as at present
determined, only to New Guinea; Telesto smithi to the sea off Timor;
Nephthy a jukesi goes further, to the Philippine Islands. One species.
Acabaría japónica, extends to Japan ; two, Siphonogorgia mirabilis
anà JunceUa gemmacea, to the Bed Sea; and two, those termed
provisionally Leptogorgia flexilis and Plexaura miniacea, possibly to
the AYestern American coast.
The systematic list which follows will show sufficiently the d istribution
of the species within Australian waters. I have adopted
the same classification of the localities as in the case of the Sponges.
The list shows th a t the greater number of species (23) were
obtained on the Queensland coast to the south-east of Torres Straits,
while th at more tropical locality only furnishes 11 species, of which
4 occur also in the former district.
Australian Distribution o f Alcyonaria collected by H.M.S.
on the Australian Coasts.
Alert ’
Family ALCYONIIDÆ.
Subfamily A l c yo n iinæ .
1. Nephthya jukesi, Gray, var.................
2. Spongodes florida, Esper.....................
3. bempricbi ?, Klunzinger.............
4. spinosa, Gray, var........................
5. studeri, n. sp.................................
------------ , var. lævior .........................
Subfamily T e l e s t in æ .
6. Telesto smithi, Gray ........
Family PENNATULIDÆ.
7. Pteroides javanica, Bleelcer .
8. Yirgularia, sp........................
Family GORGONIIDÆ.
Group P rimnoaceæ.
9. Muricella tenera, n. sp..........................
10. Muricea umhraticoides, Studer .........
11. Echinomuricea indo-malaccensis, n. sp.
12. Ecbinogorgia flabellum, Esper .........
Group E un icba cbæ .
13. Plexaura prælonga, n. sp.
var. cinerea, nov.
14.
• miniacea ?, Ehrenberg .
Group G o r g o n i a c e æ .
15. Leptogorgia flexilis ?, Verrill
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