86 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.43. 



General distribution. — Type-locality, Arafura Sea, 28 fathoms. 

 Keported by Nutting from California coast, 75-134 fathoms, and 

 Dutch East Indies, 112 meters. 



ELASMOGORGIA RAMOSA, new species. 

 Plate 15, figs. 2, 2a; plate 21, fig. 4. 



Colony subflabellate in form, 12.5 cm. in height and with a spread 

 of 8.5 cm. Stem sinuous, 3.2 mm. in diameter, giving off irregularly 

 disposed lateral branches at varying distances. Some of these latter 

 branch until brandlings of the fourth order are attained. 



The branches are slightly clavate at ends, with a distal diameter of 

 2.3 mm., and near base of 1 .7 mm. The calyces are entirely immersed, 

 so that merely the mouths are evident as oval openings in the general 

 surface of the coenenchyma. The calyx walls are not differentiated 

 from coenenchyma and are covered with short terete spindles with 

 ctenate edges, sometimes imbricating. The operculum is irregular 

 with mostly longitudinal spicules; sometimes there is an approach 

 to the regular arrangement of three forming an acute-angled triangle. 



The spicules are all spindles wliich are short, small for this family, 

 and covered with verrucse. 



Color: The colony is very light grayish-brown. 



Locality. — Station 4935; Sata IMisaki Light, N. 58° E., 4.5 miles; 

 103 fathoms. 



Type-specimen.— C&t. No. 30043, U.S.N.M. 



The regular branching seems to be a character which is sufficient 

 to constitute a new species. 



Genus MENELLA Gray (emended by Nutting). 



Colony sparingly branched; coenenchyma tliick; calyces included, 

 elliptical in cross section. When the polyps are retracted there is a 

 series of 8 soft lobes inside of the calyx margins. Spicules various, 

 true spindles being rare. 



MENELLA INDICA Gray. 



(The original reference is not accessible to the writer, who identifies this species on 

 the strength of the description given by Wright and Studer, Challenger Reports, the 

 Alcyonaria, 1889, p. liv.) 



Colony an unbranched cylindrical stem, 29.5 cm. long, average 

 diameter 1.8 mm., but the diameter near the clavate end is 2.1 mm. 

 Calyces distributed rather unevenly on all sides, the low verrucse 

 fading almost insensibly into the general surface and making it hard 

 to determine their limits. Two mm. is a common distance from sum- 

 mit to summit. The individual calyces are almost entirely included, 

 distinctly oval in section, less than 1 mm. in height. Diameters 1.3 



