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

ALCYONAKIA. 349spicules agree with those of specimens already in the Nationalcollection.Hah. Warrior Reef, Torres Straits, 12 fms. ; off North-west Cape,W. Australia, 3-4 fms. {Stnder).The known distribution is :—Indian Ocean (Pallas), Seas of theMoluccas {Lamard-}, India and China {Gray), Cuba (il/«s. Brit.,coll. H. Christy).The occurrence of this species off Cuba is a remarkable ease ofdistribution, but must be taken to be correct, as I can, aftercareful examination, find no grounds for separating the specimenfrom the above and other undoubted specimens of pectinata. Indeedit agrees with the Torres-Straits specimen more closely thanwith other, probably Indian Ocean, examples ; the verruca-spicules,which are neither figured nor fully described by Kcilliker (' IconesHistiologica3 '), show a modification of the same type as those ofthe general cortex, being only more elongated than those, andbearing two and sometimes three distinct whorls of tubercles, besidesa few median terminal ones on each half of the spicule ; the twoinner whorls almost meet in the middle, so as to obliterate the medianbare zone which is characteristic of the cortical spicules.SCLEEOGORGIACEiE.SUBEROGORGIA.Suberogorgia, Gray, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 159.Pterogorgia (pars), Dana, Zoupk. p. 647 ;M.-Eihrards Sf Haime,Hist. Cor. p. 107 (1857).Sclei-ogorgia, Kolliker, Icon. Histiol. ii. Abth. pp. 142, 144 (1865),24. Suherogorgia suberosa.Gorgonia suberosa, Pallas, Ek-nch. Zooph. p. 191 ; Esper, Pflanzenth.Fortsetz. i. p. 170, pi. xlix.One magnificent specimen, attaining a height of 87'5 centim. (35inches) and a maximum lateral expansion of 50 centim. (20 inches),also several smaller ones, all dry, and two small examples in spirit.Pallas says that it often reaches the height of 3 feet.Studer records it from the north-west coast of Axistralia at 50fms. It appears not to have been recorded until now from TorresStraits or any locality in the Pacific Ocean.Hah. Port Denison, Queensland, 4 fms. ; Alert Island and WestIsland, Torres Straits, 7 fms.BRIAREID^.25. Briareum, ? sp.A crumbling spirit-specimen of what is, perhaps, a species of this