REPORT ON THE ALCYONARIA. 125 



figure would signify." Nevertheless, in the thick spindles which are found in the 

 coenenchyma, the one side has decidedly larger warts than the other side. 



Habitat. — Station 190, Ai-afura Sea, south of Papua; depth, 49 fathoms; bottom, 

 green mud. 



3. Muricella coniplanata, n. sp. 



Colony ramified in one plane, with an upright stem giving off branches on two sides 

 at angles of about 45°; these branches again bear twigs which come off straight. The 

 stem and branches are flattened in the plane of ramification. The polyps have projecting, 

 truncatedly conical calyces, which stand out at right angles from their support. They 

 arise in alternating series from the edges of the stem and branches. 



The height of the colonj^ is, in the case of the single specimen found, 250 mm.; the 

 greatest width is 125 mm. The diameter of the main stem is 4"5 mm. near the base, and 

 4 mm. in tlie middle. The larger branches have almost the same thickness and attain a 

 length of 170 mm. The first branch arises at a height of 32 mm. The main stem rises 

 from an encrusting base to a height of 250 mm., bending many times in its course, but 

 always in the plane of ramification. This is caused by the coming off of the larger 

 branches, which always cause a deviation of the growth in the opposite direction. 



In its lower part the stem is still almost cylindrical, with the origin of the larger 

 branches it becomes flattened in the plane of ramification. Four larger branches 

 arise in alternating series from both sides of the stem at angles of 45" to GO"; they are 

 almost of the same thickness as the stem (3 to 4 mm.), flattened in the same plane and 

 cxliibiting a similar course. They generally give off secondary branches at from acute to 

 right angles ; these either remain simple or again bear short twigs. The secondary 

 branches often bend after a short course and run more or less parallel to the main branch. 

 Like the branches the main stem also gives off, especially in the upper half of its course, 

 simple secondary branches, coming off at right angles, which only rai'ely again bear short 

 twiijs. The distance between the oriijin of the main branches reaches 12 to 25 mm. 

 The secondary branches arise at intervals of 15 to 20 mm. and more. The twigs are 12 

 to 25 mm. long and 2 mm. thick. The stem, branches and twigs remain of the same 

 thiekness up to the terminations, which become expanded to a thickness of 4 mm. 



The polyps arise in alternating series from the edges only of the stem, branches and 

 twigs, and leave the broad surface of the branches free. They are placed at distances of 

 1 to rS mm. from one another. The calyx, from which the tentacular operculum 

 scarcely projects, is truncatedly conical, somewhat nan-owed in the plane of ramification. 

 The diameter of its ba.se reaches 2 mm., and its heiglit 1 mm. The end of the twig is 

 usually occupied by two divergent polyps, between the bases of which a small, blunt 

 process projects which forms the apex. 



