Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

;ALCYONAKIA. 341With regard to the relation of this to other species, perhaps theChilian forms described by Philippi(Arch. fiir Naturg. 18(50, p. IIG)are the closest allies ; their growth is similar to that oiP.jtrcelonga ;their spiculation is not, however, described.14. Plexaura miniacea.PPlexaura miuiacea, Ehrenberg, Cor. roth. Meer. p. 141.I assign to this species with great doubt a very small Gorgoniidof bright crimson colour, branching frequently and dichotomouslyin one plane, and thus forming what in an older specimen wouldprobably be a reticulate corallum. The branches are slightly flattenedfrom front to back ; the terminal ones are short (not exceeding10 millim.) ; maximum diameter of stem about 2-5 millim., of tipsof branches (which are somewhat clavate) 1'25 to 1*75 millim.Cortex compact, minutely rough. Verrucae slightly prominent,orbicular. Axis flexible, glabrous, greenish to amber-brown.Blattkeule spicule of cortex very like that of Echinogonjia cerea,Esper, as flgured by Kdlliker*, with shaft composed of one median,slender pointed, and two shorter alar rays with scattered, rounded,simple or compound tubercles ; foliar portion consisting of wedgeshapedprocesses, the middle one the longest, edges minutely scalloped,faces rendered uneven by longitudinal stride or angular ridgessize about "35 by '14 millim. The cortical radiate and slenderfusiform spicules resemble in character those of P. cinerea (supra),but they are only about half the maximum size of those of thatspecies. I have not observed a stout cyliudro-fusiform. Ehrenbergdoes not assign any locality to his species.Hah. Port Darwin, north coast of Australia, 8-12 fms., bottommud and sand ; also Hammond Island, Torres Straits {coll. hij F. M.Eai/ner, in Brit. Mus.).Obs. The specimen last referred to shows decided anastomosis ofthe branches.GORGONIACE^.15. Leptogorgia flexilis.? Litigorgia flexilis, Verrill, Tram. Conn. Acad. iv. p. 400 (edition 1);and Amer. Journ. Sci. (2j xlviii. p. 42.? Leptogorgia flexilis, id. I. c. edit. 2.I refer to this species with some doubt a single dry specimen,broken off below, consisting of a cylindrical main axis, 10 inches(250 millim.) long, and diminishing in diameter from 2*25 millim.at base to 1*25 in greatest diameter of the somewhat flattened apex,bent over (perhaps accidentally), so that the apex points downwards; two branches, 3(5 and 32 millim. respectively in length,decidedly flattened, and having an apical diameter of 1-25 and 2-0millim. respectively, are given off at angles of about 45'^ and at an* Icon. IlisLiol. pi. xvii. fig. l7.