*o.i658. ALCYOffARlA OF TBE CALIFORNIA* COAST WTTING. (385 



SYSTEMATIC DISCUSSION AND DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES. 



Order ALCYONACEA. 



Fixed colonial forms without an axis cylinder. 



Family CORNULARID^. 



Polyps with solenia; or branched and bearing lateral buds. 



Genus TELESTO. 



Axial polyps, from the walls of which lateral polyps bud forth. 

 A\ alls containing spicules. 



TELESTO RIGIDA Wright and Studer. 



Telesto rigida Wright \\i> Studer, Challenger Reports, the Alcyoiuiria. issi), 

 p. 201. 



Base of attachment not present; colony, in typical specimen, 

 :!:; nun. high; longest branch, :•>() mm.; average diameter of main 

 stem, "J..") mm., widening (list ally. 



The main stem is the elongated laxly of the parent body wall, from 

 which daughter polyps branch; these also give off buds, making three 

 generations, as it were. The stem and calyces of the daughter polyps 

 are rather faintly corrugated, the corrugations becoming almost obso- 

 lete on distal parts of calyces. Margins with S lobes and almost 

 translucent. 



The spicules are warty, short spindles, with a few crosses and slen- 

 der spindles. 



Color. — Almost white in specimens preserved in formalin. 



Locality. — Station 442 - _\ east point of San .Nicholas Island bearing 

 S. 6° W., 2.5 miles distant. Depth, .",1 fathoms. 



There were also two specimens in the collection of the University 

 of California, labeled "Sta. XXI. haul 2, June 20, 1901," oil' Santa 

 Catalina Island, 43 fathoms, and "Sta. LYII-II. I., 50 fathoms, 

 July 17, L903," from oil" San Diego. 



These specimens agree in essential characters with the original 

 description. 



In some places the corrugations in the calyces are well marked, 

 while in others they are almost obsolete, showing that their presence 

 or absence can hardly be a good specific character. 



The Challenger secured this species at Station 71, west of the 

 Azores, at a depth of 1,675 fathoms. 



