NO. 1923. DESCRIPTIONS OF PACIFIC ALCYONARIA— NUTTING. 75 



Genus ANTHOMURICEA Wright and Studer. 



Calyces cylindrical, without a crown of points, walls with spindles 

 arranged en chevron. Operculum conspicuous, 8-rayed, the basal 

 part with small spindles en chevron. 



Spicules without "Stachelplatten." 



ANTHOMURICEA ABERRANS. new species, 

 Plate 13, figs. 3, 3a; plate 20, fig. 2. 



Colony flabellate, irregularly branching, 9.7 cm. liigh and with 

 a spread of 8.5 cm. This stem is 3.4 mm. in diameter, slightly com- 

 pressed laterally. After sendmg off four minute lateral branches 

 it forks about 1.2 cm. from its base, into two large branches, both of 

 which send off several irregularly disposed lateral branches which 

 subdivide in the same manner until in one case branching of the 

 fifth order is produced. The ultimate branches are scraggly, some- 

 thing like those of an oak tree. The calyces are often in lateral 

 position, but are on all sides of the terminal parts of the colony. 

 They are as much as 2 mm. apart on main stem and branches, and 

 about 1 mm. apart on the tmgs. 



The individual calyces are very low verrucae, but not entirely 

 included although they closely approach this condition when the 

 polyp is in complete retraction. Wlien partly expanded the calyx 

 may even approach the form of a very short tube, or rather circular 

 band or collar, about 0.5 mm. in height and 1.5 mm. broad at base. 

 The calyx walls are filled with simple spindles which are often curved. 

 Some are bent and more or less horizontal, while others are oblique 

 or even vertical. In a dried fragment where the polyp was fairly well 

 expanded the upper part of the calyx wall was armed with spindles 

 arranged plainly en chevron, as in Anthomuricea. The polyp is com- 

 pletely retractile, but often rests with the collaret on the margin. 

 The collaret is well marked but narrow, consisting usually of two or 

 three circular rows of spindles. The operculum is composed of the 

 usual three spindles arranged in an acute-angled triangle, reenforced 

 by others in varying numbers. Each of the long sides of the triangle 

 is often composed of two curved spindles l3dng side by side, instead 

 of a single one. 



Spicules: The spicules of the coenenchyma are small warty spindles 

 lying haphazard. All spicules in this species are rather slender spin- 

 dles, often curved and covered moderately well wdth tubercles, seldom 

 exceeding 1.3 mm. in length, being smaller than in other species of the 

 genus. 



Color: The colony is gray; axis yellowish-brown with a faint golden 

 luster. 



