MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 33 



strongly and sharply spinulated over the whole surface (Fig. 2 b, g). Some of 

 these measured 1.52 by .10, 1.52 by .07, 1.28 by .07, .90 by .05 mm. 



In the flexible part of the polyps and the bases of the tentacles there is an 

 abundance of long, fusiform, more or less curved, and strongly spinulated spic- 

 ula, mostly acute at both ends, and moderately slender, but some of them are 

 much stouter in form, and many are enlarged, flattened, and somewhat lacer- 

 ately spinulated at one end ; some compound forms also occur, but these also 

 take an irregularly fusiform shape. Some of the curved ones, surrounding the 

 polyp-body , measured .86 by .05, .86 by .038, 76 by .07 mm. ; the straighter 

 ones, .80 by .10, .80 by .07, .76 by .07, .71 by .07, .70 by .05, .62. by .05, .62 

 by .038 mm. 



Three specimens, of moderate size, and partly overgrown by sponges, were 

 taken by the Blake, at station 309, off Nantucket, in 304 fathoms. To these 

 were also attached Astrochele Lymani ; Ophiacantha ; Pecten vitreus ; a hand- 

 some Scalpellum ; and the fresh eggs of a black dog-fish (Scyllium) . Another 

 example, from station 306, in 524 fathoms, had similar things attached. 



It was dredged by the TJ. S. Fish Commission, in 1882, off Martha's Vine- 

 yard, in 640 fathoms. 



Several fine specimens have been brought from the deep fishing banks off 

 Nova Scotia and Newfoundland by the Gloucester fishermen, during the past 

 four years, and presented to the U. S. Fish Commission. 



The first specimen was taken off Nova Scotia, in 300 fathoms, by Captain T. 

 Goodwin (schooner " Elisha Crowell "). The second specimen was obtained off 

 George's Bank, in about 220 fathoms, by Captain. Anderson and crew of the 

 schooner "Alice G. Wonson." 



The following specimens were dredged by the Blake in 1880 : — 



The tvi^ical species of this genus, A. hirsuta Gray, was obtained in deep 

 water, off Madeira. It is closely related to A. armata. 



Two species closely allied to these were dredged in deep water, in the West 

 Indian seas, by the Blake, in 1878-79. One of these, A. aspera, was de- 

 scribed by Pourtales, in 1867. 



Acanthogorgia aspera Pourtales. 



Acanthogorgia aspera Pourtales, Bulletin Mas. Comp. Zool., I., 1867, p. 113. 



The original specimen of this species, described by Pourtales, is small and 

 slender, and probably young ; several unequal, widely divergent branches are 

 given off laterally from the main, stem, which also bears isolated calicles along 

 the edges between the branches ; some of the branches begin to divide in the 

 same manner. Axis brownish yellow. Coenenchyma thin, filled with acute 



VOL. XI. — NO. 1. 3 



