S6 Xaturai. History Bulletin. 



and conform to the detinition of C/i)'\sog-orgiii in the disposition 

 of the spicules. 



A beautiful Acanlhogorgia. apparently complete, but onl\- 

 two inches high, is symmetricall}- flabellate and very profuselv 

 branchincr. with lencfthened columnar calicles and bristlin'r 

 with thorny spicules, two layers of which protect the included 

 polvp. the inner layer closing over the distal end and forming 

 a complete operculum. Two species of Paraniun'cea, both 

 brown in color, flabellate in form, and verv profuselv branch- 

 ing, differ in size and in the arrangement of the veiTuciform 

 calicles. one being characterized bv distinctlv separated cali- 

 cles. and the other bv having the branches covered with a 

 dense mass of crowded calicles with the'r bristling spicules. 

 A bright crimson species probably belongs to this genus, and, 

 bears a striking superficial resemblance to the beautiful colored 

 plates of Siphouogorgia in the •■ Challenger '' Report. Under 

 the lens this species is exquisitely beautiful, with its coating of 

 large crimson spicules. 



These extremely hispid species get so involved in the fine 

 hempen strands of the tangles, that a great deal of patience is 

 required to separate them from their unnatural environment, 

 and it is almost impossible to pick off all the threads that wind 

 in and out among the mvriad thornv points of the spicules. 



The famUv Gorgonellid.e is represented bv a slender whip- 

 like Scfrpearella. with irregular rows of ^"erruciform calicles 

 arranged on two sides of the unbranched colonv. The general 

 surface is smooth, and the color orange in some specimens and 

 light 3'ellow in others. 



Among the most interesting of all was a representative of the 

 famiiv Cornularid.e. which gives an idea of the stock from 

 which the primitive Tubularid.^:. or organ-pipe coral, and also 

 the original Gorgonid.^. mav have sprung These speci- 

 mens, which are f ragmen tar\-. appear to belong to the genus 

 Tehsto. although I am not aware that representatives of this 

 genus have heretofore been reported from the Atlantic. It is 

 characterized bv having a long axial polyp-tube, in our speci- 

 mens, about four inches long. A cross section of this polyp- 



