72 



3- Villogorgia rubra (Thomson). 



Acainptogorgia rubra Thomson. Ceylon Pearl Oyster Reports, Appendix to Alcyonaria, 

 1905, p. 178. 



Stat. 80. 2°25'S., ii7°43'E. Borneo Bank. 50 — 40 meters. Coral sand. 



Stat. 81. Pulu Sebangkatan, Borneo Bank. 34 meters. Coral bottom. 



Stat. 220. Anchorage oft' Pasir Pandjang, west coast of Binongka. 55 meters. Coral sand. 



Colony flabellate, 11.3 cm. in height and with a spread of 6.5 cm. The main stem 

 divides i cm. from its base into two unequal portions, one of which gives forth five lateral 

 branches from the outer side and three from the inner side. The other main branch gives off 

 two very prominent lateral branches from its inner side and three smaller ones from its outer 

 side. The branches are placed about 8 mm. apart. 



Branchings of the fourth order are attained. The calyces are scattered pretty evenly 

 over the stem and branches, but are more numerous on the sides, where they are about i mm. 

 apart on the average, although they are closely crowded, even contiguous on the distal parts 

 of the twigs. 



The individual calyces are short cylinders which at first glance appear to be rounded 

 warts; but their sides, though short, are vertical. A typical calyx measures about .75 mm. in 

 height and about 1.2 mm. in diameter. The calyx walls are filled with imbricating angular 

 projections which do not extend far from the surface as in Acainptogorgia, but look like 

 loosely set, irregular but angular cobble-stones. 



The operculum is sunken below the calyx margin, within which it forms a low dome, 

 the point of which is raised above the level of the margin. The operculum itself is very 

 characteristic, consisting of two long straight spindles lying parallel to each other along the 

 top of each tentacle, a third and shorter spindle being placed crosswise between the slightly 

 divaricated proximal ends of the former. The collaret is well marked. 



Spicules. These are exceedingly varied in type, but are mostly triradiate and multi- 

 radiate Stachelplatten, stars, crosses, butterflies, and some approaching the Acamptogorgian 

 type. They are all quite small. The triradiate forms and unilateral spindles seem more abundant 

 in the calyces, while the stars and multiradiate forms are more common in the coenenchyma 

 of the stem and branches. 



Color. A deep wine color, or crimson. Spicules bright red, almost scarlet. The axis 

 is a greenish brown. 



General distribution. The type is from the Ceylon Seas. 



The Siboga specimens agree quite closely with the description and figure of the type 

 as given by Thomson. It seems, however, to the present writer that the species should be 

 placed in the genus Villogorgia rather than in Acainptogorgia. 



4. Villogorgia intricata (Gray). 



BranJella intricata Gray. Cat. Lithophytes in the British Museum, 1870, p. 80. 

 Villogorgia intricata Ridley. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 5, Vol. 9, 

 1882, p. 188. 



