25 



The salmon-pink verrucse present a fine contrast to the creamy white of the 

 general coenenchyma and the yellow of the tentacles. They are prominent, almost 

 cylindrical in shape, marked by eight longitudinal ridges, and reaching a height of 

 2-7 mm. When the tentacles are retracted, the apices of the verrucse present the 

 appearance of eight-rayed stars. 



The spicules of the cortex are of two kinds: (l) Octoradiate spicules, with a 

 short shaft and terminal tubercles. Several tubercles project at each end of the 

 spicule at right angles to the shaft. The large tubercles may themselves be covered 

 with smaller tubercles. These spicules vary in length from OOG-0-08 mm., and in 

 width from "04-0 '05 mm. 



(2) Spicules that resemble opera-glasses in shape. They consist of two 

 globose masses somewhat flattened at one end, and bearing at the other end short 

 processes, variable in shape, with several tubercles. They are on an average O-QG 

 mm. in lensfth, and 0'04 mm. in width. 



To these may be added a very few rough spiny spindles from 0-06 -0-09 mm. 

 in length, and 0"02 mm. in diameter. 



To this species we also refer a few fragments from the same locality which 

 diflfer in colour, being rosy red with a yellowish - brown ccenenchyma. The 

 arrangement of the polyps and the details of spicules and axis are, however, much 

 the same as in the specimen described. 



This species differs from Pleurocorallium johnsoni, Gray, (l)in l)eing more 

 profusely branched, and (2) in having more prominent and differently arranged 

 verruca;. 



The spicules in this species agree in type with the descriptions given of P. 

 johnsoni by Gray and Ridley ; but it seems difficult to fit the specimen described 

 by Moroff (1902) as PleurocoraUium conjusum, n. sp., into the genus, for he says : 

 "Coenenchym schwach mit vielen bis 0-25 mm. grossen Spicula besetzt, die eiue 

 gerade oder gekriimmte spindelformige Gestalt aufweisen. Nicht selten sind 

 auch plattenformige Spicula, sowie Vierlinge zu sehen." 



Locality : Station 284 ; 7° 55' 00" N., 81° 47' 00" E. ; 50G fathoms. 



