92 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 43. 



form. They have a thick coating of coenenchyma when the polj'ps 

 are well preserved. The tentacles have a few irregularly disposed, 

 but mostl}^ longitudinal, much smaller lenticular spicules on the 

 dorsal surface. They often occur in two irregular longitudinal rows. 

 The dorsal surfaces of the pinnules bear minute spicules. 



Color: The colony is a bright orange-brown. The axis is white, 

 with the horny nodes brown. 



Locality.— Stsition 5029; lat. 48° 22' 30" N.; long. 145° 43' 30" E.; 

 440 fathoms. 



General distribution. — Type-locality, off the Philippines, 82 fathoms; 

 Dutch East Indies (Nutting). 



Section SCLERAXONIA. 



Axis composed of calcareous spicules which are either free or 

 fused into a more or less solid mass. 



Family MELITODID^. 



Axis composed of alternating horny and calcareous joints both of 

 which have a sclerogorgic basis with free or fused spicules. 



Genus MELITODES Verrill. 



Colony branched and reticulate; coenenchyma with an outer layer 

 of spiny spindles or half-sided spindles. Verrucse rather prominent. 



MELITODES DICHOTOMA (Pallas). 

 Isis dichotoma Pallas, Eleuchns Zoophytorum, 1766, p. 229. 



Colony fiabellate in form, the base lacking, 1 1 .3 cm. long and with a 

 spread of 6 cm. The main stem is composed of short, alternating 

 horny nodes and calcareous internodes, the former being more swollen. 

 The unbranched portion of the stem is about 4 cm. long, S-shaped. 

 The diameter of the nodes is about 5.5 mm. and of the internodes 

 3.8 mm. 



The branching is dichotomous as a rule, dividing sometimes until the 

 sixth order of branchings are produced. The branches and branchlets 

 gradually decrease in size. The horny nodes at bifurcations from 

 8,5 mm. to 2.5 mm. apart. There are a few anastomoses in the distal 

 parts of the colony. The calyces are lateral, alternate or opposite as a 

 rule, although they are not infrequently found on the front of the 

 colony, often contiguous. 



The individual calyces are low, dome-shaped verrucse usually 

 about 1 mm. in height and l.G mm. in diameter at the base. Their 

 walls are filled with spicules which appear like ctenate scales on 

 superficial view, but are really red spindles which are often curved 

 and from the convex side of which heavy, sometimes branched. 



