720 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxxv. 



The spicules of the coenenchyma are small warty spindles of various 

 shapes, extremely verrucose. Many of them are double spindles 

 characteristic of this genus. 



The spicules on the tentacles and body walls of the polyps are more 

 slender and less warty than the rest. 



The color of the colony is bright coral red, probably owing to the 

 color of the spicules. The polyps are white in alcohol or formalin, 

 but may be yellow in life. 



Distribution. — Station 4421, E. Point San Nicholas Island N. 20° 

 W. 3.8 miles, 291 fathoms; Station 4423, E. Point San Nicholas Island 

 S. 7.6 miles, 339 fathoms; Station 4441, Point Pinos light-house X. 

 87° W. 1.7 miles, 35 fathoms; Station 4451, Point Pinos light-house 

 S. 23° W. 3.2 miles, 52 fathoms; Station 4543, Point Pinos light- 

 house S. 25° E. 5.4 miles, 93 fathoms; Station 4550, Point Pinos 

 light-house S. 6° E. 4.6 miles, 50 fathoms; Station 4555, Point Pinos 

 light-house S. 63° E. 3.4 miles, 66 fathoms. 



Professor Yerrill reports this species- from Panama and Pearl 

 Islands, pools at extreme low-water mark, and from the Gulf of 

 Nicoj^a, where it was taken by divers. 



PSAMMOGORGIA SIMPLEX, new species. 

 Plate LXXXVIII, figs. 5 and 6; Flair XC, fig. 4. 



Colony straggling, branched slightly or unbranched. Largest speci- 

 mens 13 cm. long. Stem round, slender, of uniform thickness 

 throughout. 



Calyces uniformly distributed, not crowded, often as much as 2 

 mm. apart, tubular, small, about 1 mm. high, usually higher than 

 broad. 



The polyps have red spindle-shaped spicules in their walls and near 

 and on the tentacular bases, where they are arranged more or less in 

 chevrons. Otherwise they are longitudinally arranged. The ccenen- 

 chyma is thin for this genus. 



The spicules are mainly of two sorts: 1. Small double spindles, 

 rosette-, stars, and small clubs. These are found mostly in the 

 superficial layer of the coenenchyma, and are much less numerous 

 than the second kind. 2. Larger spindles, slender, pointed, often 

 somewhat curved, covered with regularly distributed verrucse. The 

 clubs are much less numerous than the other forms. 



Color.- Coral red throughout. 



Type-specimen. — Cat. No. 25131, U.S.N.M. 



Localities. Station 4416, SW. Rock, Santa Barbara Island, X. 49° 

 W. 1.7 miles, 448 fathoms: Station 1 127, Point San Pedro, Santa 

 Cruz Island, X. 35° E. 7 miles, 1 17 fathoms (type-locality). 



This species differs from its allies chiefly in the character of the 

 spicules, the larger ones resembling those found in the genus Muricea. 



