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Show 820 MR. J. Y. J O H N S O N O N T H E [June 20 if he had had a specimen of the true A. gracilis from Madeira before him. Indeed he himself felt uncertain whether the course he took was right, for he says he was " at a loss to understand Gray's description," and added that it seemed " doubtful whether this specimen (that from the West Indies) could be considered to agree with Gray's definition of the species." Antipathella gracilis, about £ nat. size. A n examination of specimens obtained at Madeira proves beyond dispute that Gray's short description of A. gracilis applies to them; whilst a study of Brook's description of the West-Indian specimen leads to the conclusion that the latter cannot belong to the same species. I shall therefore proceed to give a fuller account of the Madeiran form under Gray's name of gracilis; and then, rather than leave the West-Indian specimen without a name, I shall repeat Brook's description of it and assign to it the name of brooki. In this way I hope that the confusion surrounding the two forms will be cleared away and tbe nomenclature settled once for all. Antipathella gracilis (Gray).-Corallum black, very slender, arising from a small round flat base, sparingly and laxly branched in one plane ; branches distant, elongate, straight, never confluent; ultimate branchlets setiform, tapering to a point, from 20 to 50 millim. long. The corallum is everywhere set with minute triangular upright spines (Fig. III. 4, p. 823), those on the stem forming about seven longitudinal rows. Polyps disposed in a series on one side of the branches, separated by short intervals (fig. III. 5, p. 823). The corallum seldom exceeds 150 millim. (6 in.) in height and has a spread of rather more. The thin base has usually a diameter of about 6 millim. and the lower part of the stem is not more than about 1*5 millim. in diameter. The branches make an angle of 30° or 40° with the stem. This species seems to live gregariously, as the dredge will sometimes bring up a quantity of it. One specimen was found attached to an old individual of |
