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

——ALCYONARIA. 343rupted, and accompanied by raised margins); near their originsome of the chief pinnoe show similar furrows at their bases, extendingsome distance upwards in those which have themselvesbecome pinnate. These grooves may be replaced in parts of thespecimen* by irregular raised lines. Verrucas distributed with moreor less regularity in two alternating rows down each lateral faceof the branches and the pinnse (often uniserial in young specimens),in number from 18 to 3G to an inch on each side; they appearas low, gradually elevated pi'ominences, often barely elevated, butmost so near the tips of the pinna3 ; the mouth is formed by alongitudinal slit extended in the direction of the long axis of thebranch. Cortex about "6 millim. thick on main stem. Axis blackin stem, filiform, transparent, and pale brown at tips of pinnae.Spicules fusiform, long or short, beset with prominent tuberclesarranged in whorls in the median portion of the spicule, massedtogether at the ends ; whorls separated by more or less distinctbare spaces ; about S whorls in long fusiform spicules, 4 in stoutones ; tubercles fungiform, consisting of a cyliudrical base with anexpanded and roughened apex. Spicules either lemon-yellow,chrome-yellow, deep crimson, or (rarely) partly crimson and partlyyellow or colourless. Dimensions (average maximum f) :—millim.millim.i. Long fusiform spicules . . 452 by "038 to "177 by -038 to -044.ii. Stout fusiform spicules . . -108 by -05 to -127 by -041.iii.Verruca-spicules (fusiform) -139 by -031 to '140 by '032.Xo other forms of spicule observed.Two forms of this species may be distinguished :(1) Var. Jlavotincta. Stem, main branches, and bases of pinnteof pale brownish-yellow colour, inclining to crimson-red in theneighboui'hood of the cells ; the latter colour characterizes the remainingparts of the pinnae and becomes deeper towards their apices;the paler tints are due to the intermixture of crimson and yellowspicules ; the ends of the pinnse possess crimson spicules only. Thespicules measure —(i.) long fusiforms '177 by -038;(ii.) stoutfusiforms -127 by '041 ; (iii.) verruca-spicules "142 by -038 millim.(2) Var. perjlava. Whole corallum bright yellow, being lemonvellowin one specimen and chrome-yellow in another. The spiculesare almost all of a bright yellow colour, some of a darker tintthan others ; a crimson one is occasionally to be found. Dimensions(average greatest) :Chrome-yellow specimen.millim.Lemon-yellow Bpecimen.millim.i. Long fusiform -165 by -044. -152 by -038.ii. Stout fusiform -12 by -05. -108 by -05.iii. Verruca-spicule .. -140 by -032. -139 by -031.* Perhaps due, as also the variations in the grooves, to wrinkling of thecortex during the process of drying.t The endeavour has bi^'cn to arrive at the size of the adult spicule in eachcase, by a series of comparative measurements; the variations here given arethose occurring in different specimens.