Underfamilie Alcyoninæ. 



Væringia mirabilis. n. g. et n. sp. 



Tab. 1. Fiff. 1—40. Tab. II. Fig. 1—2. 



Zoanthodemets Stamme er indtjl 200""" hai, 30""" bred 

 nede ved Basaldelen og aftager noget i Tykkelse opad, 

 saa at dens øverste 1 >el er omtrent 20""" bred. Den er 

 rund, har et glat Udseende og er dybt riflet eiter Længden 

 som Folge af de stærkt udprægede Længdekanaler, Fig. 1. 

 Basaldelen er meget udvidet og omfatter membranagtigt de 

 Gjenstande, hvortil den er fæstet, Fig. 1. Stammen er 

 rundtom tæt besat med Grene. Nederst ved Basaldelen ud- 

 springe enkelte Polyper direkte fra Stammen, Fig. 1. 



Grenene have en forskjellig Længde og Tykkelse: 

 de nederste ere meget korte, udelte og ler Størstedelen tæt 

 besatte med Polyper. Fig. 1: efterhaandeii som de naa læn- 

 gere op paa Stammen tiltale ile baade i Længde og Tyk- 

 kelse, saa at de paa Midten ere længst, indtil 35""" lange 

 og 10 — 12""" brede ved Grunden, men aftage noget op imod 

 den øverste Del, Fig. 1 . Fra disse (irene udskyde overalt, 

 lige fra deres Udspring og til Enden, en stor Mængde tæt- 

 staaende Smaagrene, der ere saa tæt besatte med Polyper, 

 at saavel Grenene som Smaagrenene skjules ganske, 

 Fiff. 1. 2. 



Smaagrenene dannes egentlig af de forlængede Polyp- 

 kroppe, idet disse samtlige udgaa fra Grenene, Fig. 2. Fra 

 Stammens overste Ende udspringe 3 — 4 Grene, tæt besatte 

 meil Polyper, Fig. 1. Saavel Stammen som Grenene ere 

 temmelig taste, næsten læderagtige i>u' foles ru. 



Th.e ZFeiirLil-y -A-lc-sroziicLa.. 

 Sub-section Alcyoninæ. 



Væringia 1 mirabilis, n. g. et sp. 



Pl. I. fiss. 1—40. pl. II. figs. I— 2, 



The stem ut the Zoanthodem measures up to 200""" 

 in height. whilst it is 30™ m broad at the basal portion but 

 diminishes somewhat in thickness upwards, so that the up- 

 permost part is univ about 2U""" broad. 



It is cylindrical : has a smooth appearance, and is 

 deeply grooved longitudinally, in consequence of the 

 strongly prominent longitudinal ducts, (Pl. 1, fig. 1). 



The basal portion is much expanded, and embraces, 

 membranaceously, the objects to which it is attached, (Pl. I, 

 fig. 1). The stem is it all around it closely beset with branches. 

 Low down. at the basal portion, a few polyps shoot forth 

 direct trom the stem. (Pl. I. fig. 1). 



The branches are of various lengths and thieknesses; 

 the inierior ones are very short, non-fureate and. for the 

 greater part, closely beset with polyps, (Pl. 1. fig. 1). (h-ad- 

 ually. as they shoot forth further up' the stem. they incrcase 

 both in length and in thickness, so that in the middle por- 

 tion the}- become longest, measuring up to 35""" in length, 

 and 10 — 12""" in thickness at the root, but diminish again, 

 somewhat, up towards the uppermost part, (Pl. I, fig. 1). 

 Quite from the root to the extremity of these branches there, 

 eveiywhere, shoot out a multitude of closely-set branchlets 

 which are se closely beset with polyps that both, the 

 branches as well as the branchlets, are complctety concealed, 

 (Pl. I. figs. 1. 2). 



The branchlets are in reality iormed by the prolonged 

 bodies of the polyps, as all of these proceed from the 

 branches, (Pl. I, fig. 2). From the uppermost extremity of 

 the stem. 3 — 4 branches closely beset with polyps proceed, 

 (Pl. I, fig. 1). Both, the stem as well as the branches, are 

 rather hard. almost coriaceous, and they feel rough to the touch. 



Den muske N ordna vsexpedition : I>. ('. Danielssen: Alcyonida. 



1 From "Væringen", the name of the Norwegian North- Atlan- 

 tic Expeditions Steamship. 



