20 BULLETIN OF THE 



calcareous joints of the branches are rather long and moderately slender, swol- 

 len at the ends, distinctly and often strongly snlcated; they usually have a 

 rather large central tube. Horny joints very short, brown. Culicles large, 

 long, cylindrical or nearly so, often enlarged distally; the margin is armed 

 with eight large, stout, spinous spicula, not projecting very far, the free part 

 nearly smooth; below the margin the sides are supported by large fusiform 

 spicula, somewhat obliquely placed, and the exterior is covered almost entirely 

 by small, oblong, flat, scale-like spicula, blunt at the ends and often narrowed 

 in the middle ; their length is about three times their breadth (Plate IV. 

 Fig. 4 a, h, c). 



The thin coinenchyma is also composed mainly of these same scale-like forms, 

 which entirely cover its surface in dry specimens. Some of these measured 

 .46 by .13, .33 by .10, .30 by .11, .30 by .10, .28 by .09, .25 by .10, .25 by .09, 

 .23 by .10, .20 by .07, .18 by .07, .18 by .06 mm. They are minutely rough- 

 ened by longitudinal lines which diverge toward the ends, where the edges 

 are finely denticulated or serrate ; many of them are also denticulate along 

 the sides. 



The following specimens were dredged by the Blake, 1877-79. 



Lepidisis vitrea Verrill, sp. nov. 



Mode of branching imknown. Axis slender; calcareous joints translucent, 

 strongly fluted, and with a very large central tube, so large that the solid 

 matter is reduced to a thin, fragile shell; horny joints short, ])ale yellow. 

 Coenenchyma very thin, with few, scattered, small, oblong or hour-glass-shaped 

 spicula, and some fusiform ones. Calicles very much elongated, narrowed 

 toward the base and expanded at the summit, which is armed Avith eight 

 very sharp, much elongated, nearly smooth, glassy, fusiform spicula, which 

 extend along the sides of the calicles nearlj^ to the base. Other simihir acute, 

 fusiform spicula, mostly of smaller size, and only slightly roughened, cover the 

 sides of the calicles- these are mostly straight and often extend the whole 

 length of the calicles; with these are long, slender, oblong spicula, with both 

 ends blunt. 



Of this species only two fragments, without branches, have been seen. It is 

 remarkable for the large size of the central tube of the axis, and also for the 

 unusually long and sharp spicula that surround the summit of the calicles, as 

 well as for the translucent and glassy appearance of both the spicula and axis. 

 In the form of the calicles it most resembles Lepidisis caryoplujllia. 



Station 222, in 422 fathoms, off St. Lucia, Blake Expedition, 1878-79. 



