mo.1658. ALCYONARIA OF THE CALIFORNIA}! COAST VUTTING. ~\:\ 



This speciea is nearest U. ma^niflora, from which it differs greatly 

 in size and in the character and disposition of the zooids. 

 Typespecirrn n. In Museum ofc University of California. 



Family PROTOPTILID^. 



Polyps with calyces, arranged on both sides of the rachis in ;i single 



scries or in indistinct row -. 



Genus D1STICHOPTILUM. 



Slender forms with the axis extended throughout. Polyps uniserial, 

 those on opposite sides alternating. Calyces bilobed, appressed. 

 Zooids normally three to each polyp. Spicules numerous. 



DISTICHOPTILUM VERRILLII Studer. 



Plate I. WWII. li. 10 

 Distichoptilum verrilliiST\ der, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., XXV, No. 5, L894 p. 59. 



Colony very slender, having a total length of 225 nun. The axis 



extends throughout the stem and rachis, ending below in a thin, 

 curved, transparent bulb that resembles a maple seed in outline. 

 Distal end of axis hare. Length of stem 50 mm. There i> ; nlarge- 



meiit ahoilt halfway up the stem. 



The polyps arc in opposite series, hut are implanted toward the 

 dorsal rather than the ventral side. Calyces adherent on their inner 

 side, the outer side being straight and aboul ■_'."> mm. long and passing 

 insensibly into the rachis. The margin i> without regular teeth. 

 although the points of the spicules sometimes project, giving a jagged 

 appearance. In places the polyps are nearly subopposite, and arc 

 well toward the dorsal aspeel of the rachis. The pairs of calyces are 

 adnate to each other by their inner surface-, and the alternate pairs 

 are rotated to the right and left SO that the right-hand polyp of a 

 lower pair is under the line separating the calyces of the pair imme- 

 diately above. 



The zooids are arranged in sets of three along the outer sides of the 

 calyces, and one or two just above each calyx. The\ appear a- mere 

 openings, surrounded by a fence of spicules, and are cut irely immersed. 



The spicule- are slender needles, covering the entire surface, except- 

 ing the central dorsal line of the rachis and small area- on the inner 

 side- of calycular margins. 



Color. —In alcohol very lighl pink, owing to the spicules. Rachis 

 white, or nearly so. The bulb and swelling are pale yellow. 



Distribution. Station 1387, 32° 29' 30" V. lis n.v \\\, 1,000 

 fathom-. 



The types were taken from Station 3431, latitude 23° 59' X., longi- 

 tude 108° 40' W., 995 fathom-, and Station 3398, latitude 1 07' X.. 

 longitude 80 c 02' \Y.. 1,573 fathom-. 



