14 



The individual calyces are columnar in shape, but expand at base and summit, sometimes 

 approaching an hour-glass shape. They attain a length of 3 mm. and a width of 1,5 mm. at 

 the tentacle bases, and of 1 mm. at their middle. The margin is surrounded by a crown of 

 thorns, there usually being two or three spicules in each point. The polyps are retracted, the 

 tentacles being folded over the oral disk, as is usual in the Muriceidse. The operculum consists 

 of thorn-like spindles attached to the tentacle bases and bending toward each other. 



Spicules. The spicules are slender spindles, regularly tuberculate, and almost always 

 curved or bent at the middle. The spicules in the crown of thorns have a slender, straight, 

 almost smooth distal portion ; and a much shorter, stouter, strongly tuberculate proximal portion 

 which may have stout foliaceous projections. This latter part is immersed in the calyx wall. 

 There are a few triradiate spicules in the ccenenchyma of the stem and branches. The spindles 

 in the calyx walls are bent spindles, arranged en chevron, and there are slender curved 

 spindles on the dorsal surfaces or of the tentacles. 



Color. The colony, in alcohol, is very dark umber brown, almost black. The spicules 

 are colorless. 



General distribution. Atlantic Coast of the United States, to 524 fath. (Verrill). 

 Cape of Good Hope. 230 fath. (Hickson). Hawaiian Islands. 378 fath. (Nutting). 



The calyces of the Sumatran specimens are shorter than described by Verrill-, but not 

 shorter than indicated by his figures 1 . 



3. Acanthogorgia spinosa Hiles. 



Acanthogorgia spinosa Hiles. The Gorgonacea collected by Dr. Willey, 1899, p. 195. 



Stat. 305. Solor Strait, off Kampong Menanga. 113 meters. Stony. 

 Stat. 310. 8°3'S., ii9°7'.5E. Flores Sea. J2 meters. Sand. 



Colony strictly flabellate in form, 1 2 cm. in height and 9 cm. in diameter. The main 

 stem is straight, erect, and extends through the centre of the colony. The first branch is given 

 off 2 cm. from the base, the others are given off at varying intervals, but are never strictly 

 opposite, The main branches curve outward and upward like candelabra, and two of them give 

 off rows of branchlets from their outer sides only. The calyces are thickly emplanted on all 

 sides of the main stem and branches, and are more crowded toward the distal ends, where 

 their bases seem to be ordinairly almost contiguous. 



1 he individual calyces are very gradually enlarged toward their distal ends, their shape 

 being rather that of an elongated reversed cone than that of an hour-glass as described in the 

 last species. They attain a height of 3 mm. and a diameter near the summit of 1,3 mm. Near 

 the base the diameter is about 1 mm. The points around the margins are numerous, and 

 inclined to project outward and upward. There is a distinct cluster of spines inserted at the base 

 of each tentacle, each spine being curved so as to fit closely over the surface of the incurved 

 tentacle, forming an effective pseudo-operculum. 



1 Bulletin Museum Compavative Zoology XI, N» I, plate III, figs. la, 1 />. 



