I 1 



Verrucella Hickson. Alcyonaria of the Maldives, 1905, p. 817. 

 Verrucella Nutting. Descriptions of Havvaiian Alcyonaria, 1908, p. 597. 



The orio^inal definition of this orenus is as follows : 



"Polypieroide tres rameux, sclerenchyme assez épais. Calyces a bords verruciformes très- 

 saillants". 



Duchassaing et MiCHELLOTTi (1860) accept the genus, but do not define it. Kölliker 

 (1S65) restricts the genus by separating from it Juncc/la gemmacea [Verrticella gcmmacea 

 Milne Edwards) and is the first to give careful attention to the spicules. A free translation of 

 his definitiod follows : 



"Axis calcareous, without lamellse. Calyces very pronounced warts. The strongly calca- 

 reous bases of the tentacles forming an 8-rayed star within calyx opening. Spicules of the 

 ccenenchyma beset with rounded and conical verrucoe; doublé heads with transitions to doublé 

 and simple spindles (in two species with little thorny doublé stars). Polyp spicules fiattened, 

 small warty spindles and doublé spindles .12 to .20 mm. long, also found in the ccenenchyma, 

 besides many small simple spindles". 



Studer (1887) and Wright and Studer (1889) adopt the definition of Kölliker without 

 material change. I find 110 subsequent discussion of the genus which adds anything of impor- 

 tance as to generic characters. The definition adopted for the present work is simply a 

 condensation and modification of that given by Kölliker, as follows : 



Gorgonellidae with calcareous, usually homogeneous axis; colony variously branched but 

 never simple; calyces verruciform, their distal portions rounded and including an 8-rayed star 

 formed by the heavily spiculated tentacle bases. Spicules mainly doublé heads and girdled 

 spindles intergrading with simple spindles. 



The type species of this genus is hard to determine. The first species named by Milne 

 Edwards and Haime is J 'errucella violacea ; but this species is correctly regarded by Kölliker 

 as not belonging to the genus or family, but to the family Gorgonidse. This being the case 

 it seems safer to the present writer to indicate as the type Verrucella guadeloupensis Duch. et 

 Mich., which conforms strictly to the definition of the genus and is the first species mentioned 

 by Kölliker who was the first to define the genus according to modern methods. Other 

 species are Verrucella bicolor Nutting, J\ candida Ridley, V flexuosa (Lamarck), ? V.furcata 

 (Lamarck), V granifera Kölliker, V. guernei Studer, V. rubra Thomson and Henderson and 

 the new species about to be described. 



1. Verrucella rubra Thomson and Henderson. 



Verrucella rubra Thomson and Henderson. Ceylon Pearl Oyster Report, The Alcyonaria, 

 1905, p. 314. 



Stat. 310. 8°3o'S., H9°7'.5E. 73 meters. 



Colony (incomplete) sparingly branched in a straggling marmer, 19.5 cm. high. Stem 

 and branches of about equal diameter (1.5 mm.) troughout. The stem forks about 2.4 cm. 

 from its proximal end. One of the resultant branches sends off a very short simple branchlet 



