MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 29 



A very small specimen, 24 mm. liigb, attached to a pebble, has a small coni- 

 cal base; it has already given otf four small, iine(]ual branches; the calicles 

 are like those of the more mature examples, but smaller. 



The color, in alcoholic si:)ecimens, is white; axis light yellow. 



The largest specimen, without its base, is 120 mm. high, 75 mm. broad. 



The scales of the calicles (Figs. 2 b, 2 c) are thin and of various forms, round- 

 ish, oval, or more or less angular, usually with finely serrate margins; they 

 have a prominent nuclear point, near the proximal edge, from which struc- 

 tural lines radiate; the outer surface is covered with small, prominent, un- 

 equal, sharp warts and spiuules, sometimes taking the form of thin, elevated, 

 radial crests ; the spinules are crowded. in the central area, becoming more 

 scattered toward the distal margin; they iisually appear to be irregularly 

 arranged, but radial rows can often be distinguished. Some of these scales 

 measured .31 by .28, .30 by .18, .29 by .25, .25 by .22 mm. The opercular 

 scales (Fig. 2 d) have the form of an isosceles triangle, with the distal end acute 

 and the basal angles rounded; the raised nuclear point is near the broader end, 

 and from it rows of warts, spinules, and small crests run, radially, toward the 

 margins, but usually leave the distal and somewhat of the lateral edges bare; 

 the spinules are largest on the distal rows, and are strongly inclined toward 

 that end of the scale; the margins are finely serrulate. Two of them meas- 

 ured .34 by .20, and .33 by .16 mm. The scales of the ccenenchyma (Fig. 2 e) 

 are similar to the lateral scales of the calicles, but smaller and more rounded, 

 with a more central nucleus. They vary considerably in size and form, and 

 are mostly covered with rough, unequal warts and spinules, arranged more or 

 less distinctly in radial rows. Some of these measured .25 by .16, .25 by .15, 

 .24 by .13, .20 by .15, .20 by .13, .18 by .14, .18 by .11, .17 by .15, .16 by .12, 

 .16 by .11 mm. 



Two good specimens of this species, with several fragments, were taken at " 

 Station 318, in 337 fathoms, N. Lat. 31° 48' 50", W. Long. 77° 51' 50". 



Family GORGONID^. 



Stenogorgia, gen nov. 



Axis horny, branched. Ccenenchyma thin, consisting chiefly of small, warty, 

 fusiform spicula, with a few smaller, short, irregular, rough, granule-like spic- 

 ula next the outer surface, but not forming any regular layer. Calicles scat- 

 tered or two-rowed, more or less prominent, eight-rayed at summit, and filled 

 with spicula, like those of the ccenenchyma. Tentacles filled with fusiform 

 spicula and usually incurved, commonly not retracted within the calicles, but 

 cajjable of it. 



This genus externally resembles Thesea and Eunicella, but in the former the 

 ccenenchyma has a superficial layer of scales, and in the latter it lias a regular 

 external covering of club-shaped spicula, standing perpendicuLu- to the axis. 

 In Svnftia, which has a similar appearance, the ccenenchyma consists of small 

 scales only. Its atfinities are, apparently, with Lepfofiorgia. 



