5i 



form. There are also many spindles, some with irregular verrucae, and others with verrucse in 

 regular whorls. Bent spindles are found in the polyps. 



Color. The colony is a very dull grayish brown, like that of many sponges. The axis 

 is dull crimson and the polyps are colored like the coenenchyma. 



Genus Wrightella Gray. 



Wrightella Gray. Catalogue of the Lithophytes in the British Museum, 1870, p. 31-. 



Wrightella Ridley. Zoological collections of H. M. S. Alert, 1884, p. 580. 



Wrightella Studer. Versuch eines Systemes der Alcyonaria, 1887, p. 32. 



Wrightella Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1889, p. XXXVI. 



Wrightella Kükenthal. Die Gorgonidenfamilie der Melitodida;, Zoolog. Anz. Bd. XXXIII, 



1908, p. 200. 

 Wrightella Thomson and Mackinhon. Alcyonarians collected on the Percy Sladen Trust 



Expedition, Part II, 1910, p. 199. 



The earliest definition of this genus at present at hand is that of Studer (1887) which 

 is as follows : 



"Comprimirte Aste und Zweige, die vorragenden Polypenkelche vorvviegend an den 

 Seiten. In der Rinde Blattkeulen. Keine Nahrkanale in der Axe". 



Wright and Studer (1889) simply give a translation of the above definition. 



Kükenthal (1908) defines the genus as indicated in the following translation: 



"Colonies flabellate. Branches fiattened and arising from the nodes. No water-vascular 

 canals in the axis. In the outer cortex there are small spherical spicules which are derived 

 from foliaceous clubs. The polyps are lateral or on one surface". 



Thomson and Mackinnon (19 10) say that Wrightella is characterized by distinctive 

 spicules: "short clubs with very broad flanges. The heads of these clubs form a compact 

 pavement in the coenenchyma, producing an almost roe-like appearance, as in species of Bebryce". 



The type species of this genus is Wrightella coccinea Gray. Other species are Wrightella 

 variabilis Thomson and Henderson, W. tongaensis Kükth. and the new species in the Siboga 

 collection. 



1. Wrightella coccinea Gray. 



? Isis cocinnea Ellis and Solander. Natural History of Zoophytes, 1786, p. 107. 

 ? Isis coccinea Esper. Pflanzenthiere, I, 1781, p. 280. 



Me/itiCa de Risso Lamouroux. Histoire Polypiers coralligènes flexibles, 18 16, p. 463. 



Melitcea coccinea Lamarck. Histoire Naturelle des Animaux sans Vertèbres, 2^ Edit., Vol. II, 

 1836, p. 473. 



Wrightella coccinea Gray. Catalogue of the Lithophytes in the' British Museum, 1870, p. 32. 



Wrightella coccinnea Ridley. Zoological collections of H. M. S. "Alert", 1884, p. 581. 



Wrightella coccinea Hickson. Alcyonaria of the Cape of Good Hope, II, 1904, p. 219. 



Wrightella coccinea Thomson and Mackinnon. Alcyonarians collected on the Percy Sladen 

 Trust Expedition, Part II, 1910, p. 200. 



Stat. 117. i°o'.5 N., 122 56' E. 80 meters. Sand and coral. 



Colony (incomplete) flabellate and reticulate, 12.5 cm. long. Main stem, to first branch, 



