71 



Color. The colony is very dark brown with a maroon or wine-color cast. The axis is 

 almost black. Spindles pink, sometimes white. 



General distribution. The type was secured near Guadeloupe, West Indies. The 

 Siboga specimen agrees fairly well with the descriptions, especially the very clear one given 

 by Ridley. 



2. Villogorgia coriiprcssa Hiles. 



V'illogorgia compressa Hiles. Willey Reports, the Gorgonacea, itS99, p. 200. 



Stat. 117. i°o'.5 N., I22°56'E. North Celebes. 80 meters. Sand and coral. 



Stat. 154. o°7'.2N., I30°25'.5 E. Bougainville Strait. 83 meters. Muddy sand. 



Stat. 310. 8°30'S., 1 19° 7'. 5 E. Floras Sea. 73 meters. Sand. 



*Pulu Missa near Flores. },6 meters, de Siso don. 



Colony strictly flabellate and reticulate, 10.2 cm. in height, and with a spread of 13.3 cm. 

 The main stem is 2.3 mm. in diameter and gives off a branch 5 mm. from its base, above 

 which the main branches are roughly alternate in position and somewhat compressed, each 

 dividing and then anastomosing with others, forming a regular reticulate pattern. The twigs 

 forming the reticulation are about 5 mm. apart. The calyces are very unequally spaced and 

 are emplanted on all sides of the stem and branches, at times being closely crowded and at 

 others being i mm. apart. There are numerous gall-like swellings caused by parasitic barnacles. 



The individual calyces are short cylinders 1.2 mm. in height and i mm. in diameter. 

 The walls are studded with triangular points projecting upward and cnitward and sometimes 

 apparently imbricating. The margin is armed with a circlet of thorny points which are more 

 prominent than usual in this genus. The polyps are retractile, and furnished with a well developed 

 operculum which is composed of the characteristic elements, there being two long, bent spindles 

 longitudinal to the dorsal surface of each tentacle, and a third shorter one lying across their 

 bases. The operculum is elevated well above the margin, but not usually above the points of 

 the crown spicules. 



Spicules. The most characteristic forms are triradiate spicules and crosses. There are 

 also multiradiate forms, stars, butterflies and Stachelplatten. The spicules resemble tho.se of 

 Heterogorgia ; but the preponderance of triradiate forms, together with the form of the calyx 

 and operculum, seems to justify its being placed here. 



Color. The colony is a decidedly yellowish light brown. The axis is brown and the 

 spicules colorless. 



General distribution. The type of this species was found in Blanche Bay, 

 New llritain. 



A very large dried .specimen labeled "Pulu Mis.sa", 20 fathoms, de Si.so don., I refer 

 with some doubt to this species. It is about 50 cm. in height and 60 cm. in diameter. The 

 operculum is more heavily spiculated. The spicules in general are of the same type character 

 as the specimen described above, but somewhat more slender. 



