476 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. viii. 



Description of a New Species op Paragorgia from 

 Jervis Inlet, B.C. By Prof. A. E. Verrill. 



Paragorgia Pacifica Verrill. Corallum large, very much 

 branched, irregularly dichotomous, the branches trending some- 

 what in a plane. In the single specimen obtained, several large 

 branches arise from close to the base and diverge at wide angles, 

 so that the coral is broader than high ; these subdivide very soon 

 into numerous branches, which, like their branchlets, start out 

 nearly at right angles and then bend upward, thus producing 

 broad rounded axils. The branchlets are nearly round, slender 

 for this genus, slightly irregular, variable in length, and mostly 

 swollen at the tip. The polyp-cells are irregularly scattered, mode- 

 rately large, eight-rayed and mostly sunken in contraction. Be- 

 tween the polyp cells there are numerous openings, like pin-puue- 

 tuers, apparently corresponding to rudimentary zooids, analogous 

 to those found in Sarcophyton and the Peunatulaceae. Similar 

 small openings exist in Paragorgia, arborca. Ccenencliyma 

 moderately thick, axis porous, brittle, composed mostly of 

 elongated, rough spicula. Color bright red-lead or orange-red, 

 axis pale yellow. Diameter of the branchlets .25 to .35 of an 

 inch ; distance between their divisions 1 to 2.5 inches. Total 

 height of the specimen about 16 inches. The spicula composing 

 the outer layer of the ccenencliyma are very small, short and rough, 

 varying from forms that are but little longer than broad to those 

 that are nearly twice as long as broad, mostly with a whorl of 

 about four rudely subdivided warts close to each end, the end 

 itself consisting of a small, rough rounded tubercle ; between the 

 whorls of warts there is a narrow naked middle space. Beneath 

 the outer layer the ccenencliyma is filled with many much larger 

 stout fusiform light red spicula, varying in size and form, which 

 bear rudely conical, divergent spicules, arranged irregularly in 

 two to four or more remote whorls, one of which is often central^; 

 the ends of these spicula are prominent and more or less spinulous ; 

 they are often three times as long as broad, but smaller and 

 shorter ones are mingled with them. The axis contains much 

 larger and longer whitish fusiform spicula, often six to eight or 

 more times longer than thick, with a wide median naked space, 

 and with about three distant irregular whorls of rough, conical, 

 spinulose prominences, those next the ends often much the lar- 

 gest and subdivided or rudely branched. The specimen was 

 obtained at Jervis Inlet by Mr. Richardson. This form is 

 closely allied to Paragorgia arborea, found on both sides of the 

 North Atlantic, and abundaut in deep water off Nova Scotia, in 

 200 to 300 fathoms, hard bottom. The latter, although very 

 variable as to the size and style of its branches, is a much coarser 

 and stouter form, with thicker and more irregular branchlets. 



(This is the coral referred to on page 466 of Mr. Whiteave's paper in the 

 in the present number.) 



Published December 20th, 1878. 



