﻿ALCYONARIA. 
  343 
  

  

  rupted, 
  and 
  accompanied 
  by 
  raised 
  margins); 
  near 
  their 
  origin 
  

   some 
  of 
  the 
  chief 
  pinnoe 
  show 
  similar 
  furrows 
  at 
  their 
  bases, 
  ex- 
  

   tending 
  some 
  distance 
  upwards 
  in 
  those 
  which 
  have 
  themselves 
  

   become 
  pinnate. 
  These 
  grooves 
  may 
  be 
  replaced 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   specimen* 
  by 
  irregular 
  raised 
  lines. 
  Verrucas 
  distributed 
  with 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  regularity 
  in 
  two 
  alternating 
  rows 
  down 
  each 
  lateral 
  face 
  

   of 
  the 
  branches 
  and 
  the 
  pinnse 
  (often 
  uniserial 
  in 
  young 
  specimens), 
  

   in 
  number 
  from 
  18 
  to 
  3G 
  to 
  an 
  inch 
  on 
  each 
  side; 
  they 
  appear 
  

   as 
  low, 
  gradually 
  elevated 
  pi'ominences, 
  often 
  barely 
  elevated, 
  but 
  

   most 
  so 
  near 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  pinna3 
  ; 
  the 
  mouth 
  is 
  formed 
  by 
  a 
  

   longitudinal 
  slit 
  extended 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  long 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  

   branch. 
  Cortex 
  about 
  "6 
  millim. 
  thick 
  on 
  main 
  stem. 
  Axis 
  black 
  

   in 
  stem, 
  filiform, 
  transparent, 
  and 
  pale 
  brown 
  at 
  tips 
  of 
  pinnae. 
  

   Spicules 
  fusiform, 
  long 
  or 
  short, 
  beset 
  with 
  prominent 
  tubercles 
  

   arranged 
  in 
  whorls 
  in 
  the 
  median 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  spicule, 
  massed 
  

   together 
  at 
  the 
  ends 
  ; 
  whorls 
  separated 
  by 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  distinct 
  

   bare 
  spaces 
  ; 
  about 
  S 
  whorls 
  in 
  long 
  fusiform 
  spicules, 
  4 
  in 
  stout 
  

   ones 
  ; 
  tubercles 
  fungiform, 
  consisting 
  of 
  a 
  cyliudrical 
  base 
  with 
  an 
  

   expanded 
  and 
  roughened 
  apex. 
  Spicules 
  either 
  lemon-yellow, 
  

   chrome-yellow, 
  deep 
  crimson, 
  or 
  (rarely) 
  partly 
  crimson 
  and 
  partly 
  

   yellow 
  or 
  colourless. 
  Dimensions 
  (average 
  maximum 
  f) 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  millim. 
  millim. 
  

  

  i. 
  Long 
  fusiform 
  spicules 
  . 
  . 
  452 
  by 
  "038 
  to 
  "177 
  by 
  -038 
  to 
  -044. 
  

   ii. 
  Stout 
  fusiform 
  spicules 
  . 
  . 
  -108 
  by 
  -05 
  to 
  -127 
  by 
  -041. 
  

   iii. 
  Verruca-spicules 
  (fusiform) 
  -139 
  by 
  -031 
  to 
  '140 
  by 
  '032. 
  

  

  Xo 
  other 
  forms 
  of 
  spicule 
  observed. 
  

  

  Two 
  forms 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  may 
  be 
  distinguished 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  (1) 
  Var. 
  Jlavotincta. 
  Stem, 
  main 
  branches, 
  and 
  bases 
  of 
  pinnte 
  

   of 
  pale 
  brownish-yellow 
  colour, 
  inclining 
  to 
  crimson-red 
  in 
  the 
  

   neighboui'hood 
  of 
  the 
  cells 
  ; 
  the 
  latter 
  colour 
  characterizes 
  the 
  re- 
  

   maining 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  pinnae 
  and 
  becomes 
  deeper 
  towards 
  their 
  apices; 
  

   the 
  paler 
  tints 
  are 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  intermixture 
  of 
  crimson 
  and 
  yellow 
  

   spicules 
  ; 
  the 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  pinnse 
  possess 
  crimson 
  spicules 
  only. 
  The 
  

   spicules 
  measure 
  — 
  (i.) 
  long 
  fusiforms 
  '177 
  by 
  -038 
  ; 
  (ii.) 
  stout 
  

   fusiforms 
  -127 
  by 
  '041 
  ; 
  (iii.) 
  verruca-spicules 
  "142 
  by 
  -038 
  millim. 
  

  

  (2) 
  Var. 
  perjlava. 
  Whole 
  corallum 
  bright 
  yellow, 
  being 
  lemon- 
  

   vellow 
  in 
  one 
  specimen 
  and 
  chrome-yellow 
  in 
  another. 
  The 
  spi- 
  

   cules 
  are 
  almost 
  all 
  of 
  a 
  bright 
  yellow 
  colour, 
  some 
  of 
  a 
  darker 
  tint 
  

   than 
  others 
  ; 
  a 
  crimson 
  one 
  is 
  occasionally 
  to 
  be 
  found. 
  Dimensions 
  

   (average 
  greatest) 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Chrome-yellow 
  specimen. 
  Lemon-yellow 
  Bpecimen. 
  

   millim. 
  millim. 
  

  

  i. 
  Long 
  fusiform 
  -165 
  by 
  -044. 
  -152 
  by 
  -038. 
  

  

  ii. 
  Stout 
  fusiform 
  -12 
  by 
  -05. 
  -108 
  by 
  -05. 
  

  

  iii. 
  Verruca-spicule 
  .. 
  -140 
  by 
  -032. 
  -139 
  by 
  -031. 
  

  

  * 
  Perhaps 
  due, 
  as 
  also 
  the 
  variations 
  in 
  the 
  grooves, 
  to 
  wrinkling 
  of 
  the 
  

   cortex 
  during 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  drying. 
  

  

  t 
  The 
  endeavour 
  has 
  bi^'cn 
  to 
  arrive 
  at 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  adult 
  spicule 
  in 
  each 
  

   case, 
  by 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  comparative 
  measurements; 
  the 
  variations 
  here 
  given 
  are 
  

   those 
  occurring 
  in 
  different 
  specimens. 
  

  

  