bo.1658 ILCYONARIA OF THE CALIFORNIAN C0A81 VUTTINO. 719 



spicules, longitudinally arranged, except under the tentacular bases. 

 where they are in chevrons. 



The spicules are exceedingly various in form, hut of the usual 

 muriceid type. There are man) unsymmetrical spindles with irreg- 

 ular jagged edges and processes. Clubs of various patterns are fairly 

 common, as are small scales with jagged edges, stars, and double stars. 

 The general arrangement of spicules is longitudinal on the stem and 

 branches. 



The color of the colony is very light gray or brownish gray; axis 

 horn-color lightening distally. 



Type-specimen. — Cat. No. 25430, U.S.N.M. 



Locality. -Station 4361, Point Loma light-house S. 3° E. 9.9 miles, 

 97 fathoms. 



Family PLEXAURIDjE. 



Axis horny, or horny and calcareous, not jointed; coenenchyma 



thick; calyces often included, placed on all sides of stem and 

 branches; primary radial canals well defined. 



Genus PSAMMOGORGI A Verrill. 

 Verrill's original description is as follows: 



Corallum dichotomous or subpinnate, with round branches. Axis hornlike. Cce- 

 nenchyma moderately thick, the surface finely granulated with rough spicula. Cells 

 scattered, Bomewhal flat, more frequently raised in the form of rounded verrucse. 



Polyps with rather large, elongated, slender, warty Bpindles at the liases of the 

 tentacles. Spicula of the coenenchyma mostly short, thick, and very rough, warty 

 Bpindles, and rough, warty clubs of moderate size." 



PPSAMMOGORGIA ARBUSCULA Verrill. 



Psammogorgia arbuscula Verrill, A.mer. Journ, Sci., XIV, May, L869, p.414. 



The largest colony measures 261 mm. long and is roughly fiabellate 

 in outline, dividing into two main branches about 37 mm. above the 

 expanded base. These main branches again subdivide two or three 

 times. The branches are of uniform diameter throughout. 



The calyces are uniformly and thickly scattered throughout the 

 coenenchyma, bul are seldom actually contiguous, and are in the form 



of low verruca, about 1.5 mm. in diameter. 



The polyps are fairly well expanded in specimens preserved in 



formalin, extending about 1.5 mm. above the calycular margin. 



There are numerous warty spicules on the lower part of the body wall, 

 and a few are placed transversely helow and over 1 he tentacular bases. 

 They are found sparsely on the tentacles. 



"Trans. Connecticut Acad. Arts an. 1 Sci., I. Pt. 2, L867 1871, p. lit Professor 

 Verrill's description of the genus is here given entire The genus is undoubtedly an 

 aberrant one, anil dees run correspond to the family characters as given above, l>ut the 

 present writer is not prepared to attempt a reconstruction of the classification. 



