NO. 1923. DESCRIPTIONS OF PACIFIC ALCYONARIA— NUTTING. 19 



Locality. — Station 4888; Nomo Zaki, N. 57° E., 16.5 miles; 71 

 fathoms. 



Type-specimen.— C&t. No. 30041, U.S.N.M. 



Genus PARASPONGODES Kukenthal. 



Nephthyidse, resembling DendronepJithya in structure, but having 

 polyps mthout supporting bundles of spicules. Polyps either single 

 or united in bundles. 



PARASPONGODES STRIATA Thomson and Henderson. 



Paraspongodes striata Thomson and Henderson, Ceylon Pearl Oyster Report, 

 1905, p. 277. 



Colony arborescent, 6.1 cm. high and 4.5 cm. broad. The barren 

 part of the stem is 2.2 cm. long and 1.8 cm. broad, narrowing above 

 and below. Its proximal end is covered with numerous slender, 

 soft, root-like filaments of a dark greenish-brown color. The branches 

 are in two whorls, those in the lower being contiguous and confluent 

 basally; some branchlets being directed downward and others up- 

 ward. Except near the bases of the larger branches the branches 

 are all round in section. Branchings up to the fifth order are at- 

 tained, all branches being very distinctly and regularly wrinkled 

 transversely, resembling trachseary tissue. The polyp bundles are 

 small, as are the individual polyps. The latter are so matted to- 

 gether that it is hard to determine the number in a bundle, probably 

 the average being six to eight. The pedicel and polyp head together 

 are about 2 mm. long, and the head is but slightly broader than the 

 pedicel, the diameter being about 1 mm. 



The pol3rps are terete in form, like grains of wheat. The walls are 

 armed with spindles arranged roughly en chevron, and some of them 

 project over the margin. The largest spicules are those in the twigs 

 bearing the bundles, some of these attaining 5 mm. in length. All of 

 these spindles are slender, sinuous or bent, and their surface is covered 

 with closely set spiny points. There are few spicules projecting much 

 beyond the margin. The spicules in the walls of the stem are intri- 

 cately branched crosses of minute size. 



Spicules: These are all spindles of various sizes, but of the type 

 described, and crosses which are profusely branched. 



Color: The stem and branches are grayish-white, the polyps dull 

 brown. The rootlets are dull greenish-brown. 



Locality. — Station 5071 ; Ose Saki, S. 53.5° W., 2.6 miles; 57 fathoms. 



Type-locality. — Gulf of Manaar. 



Family ALCYONID^E Verrill (emended). 



Colonial Alcyonacea in which the polyps are retractile. The proxi- 

 mal part of the stem is usually devoid of polyps, the coenenchyma is 



