Cortical spicules :—(i.) Clubs almost exactlj' as in Juncella gemmacea,
M.-Edwards and Haime (see Kolliker, Icon. Histiol. p. 122,
woodcut 19, 1 ); length '087 millim. (ii.) Double stars, with short
median hare shaft, and swollen but rather unequal heads, covered
with three or four series of moderately sharp tubercles, closely aggregated
; length of spicule '087 millim.
Hah. Port Denison, Queensland, 4 fms. ; bottom rock.
Ohs. The two dry specimens which represent this species have,
unfortunately, neither of them retained their original base, but the
larger one was broken off at a point probably not far above it. Tho
length of the specimens respectively is 1 3 | inches (330 millim.) and
8A inches (170 millim.). They are more or less bent irregularly
and are very flexible.
In its small crowded verrncæ, in the absence of lateral lines, in
its pale colour, and in the abundant tuberculation of the heads of
the double-steUato spicule this species differs from J . gemmacea, M.-
Edw. and Haime, which seems to be the nearest described species.
ELLISELLA.
Ellisella, Graij, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 287 ; Studer, AIB. Ak. Berlin,
1878, p. 059.
Juncella (pars), Kolliker, loon. Histiol. p. 140; (pars) Klunzinqer.
Kor.rotk.AIeer.p.55. ’
Verrucella (pars), Kolliker, I. c.
22. Ellisella calamus.
Studer, I. c. p. 660, pi. v. fig. 28.
A specimen 9 inches (225 millim.) long in its present imperfect
condition appears to represent this species ; but the fusiform spicules
are from -07 to A millim. long, and the colour is dark brick-red.
Studer gives -06 as the length of these sx>icules, and does not mention
the colour. His specimens wmre from N.W. Australia.
Hab. Port Denison, Queensland, 4 fms.
23. Ctenocella pectinata.
Gorgonia pectinata, Pallas, Elench. Zooph. p. 179.
A fine and extremely weU-preserved specimen of unusual symmetry
; it has the form of the conventional lyre, being V-shaped,
with the upper lateral branches curved inwards. Colour pale
salmon.
The front and back faces of the two main (outer) branches are bare
of polyps for from one third to half their length from their origin ;
the verrucæ are but slightly prominent on the outer branches ; the
spicules agree with those of specimens already in the National
collection.
Hah. Warrior Peef, Torres Straits, 12 fm s .; off North-west Cape,
W. Australia, 3 -4 fms. (Studer).
The known distribution i s :—Indian Ocean (P«77as), Seas of the
Moluccas (Lamardc), India and China (Gray), Cuba (Mus. Brit.,
coll. H. Christy).
The occurrence of this species off Cuba is a remarkable case of
distribution, hut must he taken to be correct, as I can, after
careful examination, fihd no grounds for separating the specimen
from the above and other undoubted specimens of pectinata. Indeed
it agrees with the Torres-Straits specimen more closely than
with other, probably Indian Ocean, examples ; the verruca-spicules,
which are neither figured nor fully described by Kolliker (‘ leones
Histiologica? ’), show a modification of the same type as those of
the general cortex, being only more elongated than those, and
bearing two and sometimes three distinct whorls of tubercles, besides
a few median terminal ones on each half of the spicule; the two
inner whorls almost meet in the middle, so as to obliterate the median
bare zone which is characteristic of the cortical spicules.
SCLEKOGOE G IACEZE.
SUBEROGORGIA.
Suberogorgia, Gray, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 159.
Pterogorgia (pars), Dana, Zooph. p. 647 ; M.-Edwards Ilaime,
Hist. Cor. p. 167 (1857).
Sclerogorgia, Kolliker, Icon. Histiol. ii. Ahth. pp. 142, 144 (1865),
24. Suberogorgia suherosa.
Gorgonia suherosa, Pallas, Elench. Zooph. p. 191; Esper, Pflanzenth.
Eortsetz. i. p. 170, pi. xlix.
One magnificent specimen, attaining a height of 87’5 centim. (35
inches) and a maximum lateral expansion of 50 centim. (20 inches),
also several smaller ones, all dry, and two small examples in spirit.
Pallas says th at it often reaches the height of 3 feet.
Studer records it from the north-west coast of Australia at 50
fms. I t appears not to have been recorded until now from Torres
Straits or any locality in the Pacific Ocean.
Hah. Port Denison, Queensland, 4 fm s.; Alert Island and West
Island, Torres Straits, 7 fms.
BRIAREIDÆ.
25. Briareum, ? sp.
A crumbling spirit-specimen of what is, perhaps, a species of this
i' I it' M