87 



Spicules are slender and delicate. Triradiate and quadriradiate forms predominate. 

 There are also slender, bent, tuberculate spindles, and rarely one of the Echinogorgia type. 



Color. The colony is light grayish brown, in alcohol, with the scarlet spindles of the 

 opercukmi showing in pleasing contrast. The other spicules are colorless. 



Here, again, the .spiculation reminds one of the genus Villogorgia ; but the shape of 

 the calyces is entirely difterent. 



Heterogorgia Verrill. 



(Including Astroiiturkea Germanos). 



Heterogorgia Verrill. American Journal of Science and Arts, XLV, 1868, p. 413. 

 Heterogorgia Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1889, p. LV. 

 Heterogorgia Verrill. Transactions Connecticut Academy of Arts and Science, Vol. I, Part 2, 



1871, p. 450. 

 Astromiiricea Germanos. Gorgonaceen von Ternate, 1896, p. 176. 



The original description of this genus was very brief and not sufficient for use under 

 the present conditions. The same writer, however, three years later, gave a detailed description 

 which is much more adequate. Leaving out some unessential details, the definition is as follows : — 



" Coenenchyma rather thin, wqth granular surface; spicules quite small and inconspicuous, 

 of various forms of roughly warted, short spindles, heads, double heads, double stars, crosses, 

 with many irregularly shaped small rough spicula. Verrucee rounded, somewhat prominent, 

 smoothish below, armed at summit with long, sharp, often crooked spindles, which project from 

 the surface around the cell in the form of .sharp, divergent spindles". 



Germanos, in 1896, instituted the genus Astronmricea. A condensed translation of his 

 definition is as follows : — 



"Spicules of the coenenchyma stars, double stars, double wheels and star-shaped plates, 

 and often thick warty plates on the surface of the branches. These spicules are interlocked by 

 their processes, forming a superficial layer enclosing cruciform spaces, or of intermingled large 

 warts. There are occasionally spicules with flattened thorny processes. The coenenchyma is 

 thick, calyces tubercular, with circular crown of upright spicules with superficial long spindles 

 at their bases". 



It seems to the present writer that the earlier genus, Heterogorgia, will plainly include 

 the forms which Germanos places in the genus Astronmricea. The following short definition 

 will serve to give the diagnostic features. 



Coenenchyma moderately thick; calyces verruciform, or in the form of short tubes, with 

 a marginal crown of sharp spicules. Spicules of the caly.x walls stars, double stars, heads and 

 double heads, double wheels, etc., forming a felted ma.ss on the surface. The coenenchyma of 

 the stem and branches often with large spindles. 



The genus is somewhat allied to Villogorgia, but lacks the cliaracteristic triradiate 

 spicules of that genus. The spicules are much smaller, and multiradiate forms predominate. 



The type of the genus Heterogorgia is Heterogorgia verriicosa Verrill. Other known 

 species are Heterogorgia (Astronmricea) ramosa (Thomson and Henderson), H. fiapillosa Verrill, 



