Verrill, Notes on Radiata. 419 



Corallum variously branched, usually dicliotomous or arborescent. 

 Axis horny, rarely becoming calcareous at the base in large speci- 

 mens. Coenenchyma composed of large, one-sided, very warty, and 

 often curved spindles, mingled with many smaller ones of various 

 sizes, the exterior being formed mainly of the large ones, which be- 

 come imbricated on the surface of the verruca' and usually project 

 from the surface. The cells are prominent in various degrees, and 

 either tubular or bilabiate with the lower side projecting. Polyps 

 retractile, the tentacles stiffened at base with long, warty spindles. 



Dr. Kolliker has very jiidiciously restricted this genus by the re- 

 moval of Parcunuricea and Echinogorgia, two well defined and natu- 

 ral genera. As now limited Maricea is a well chara<,'terized genus, 

 whicli is widely distributed in the tropical seas, but aj)parently more 

 fully represented on the American coasts than elsewhere. In the 

 West Indies and on the Atlantic coasts there are at least five species, 

 while on tlie Pacific side eighteen have already been discovered. 

 The species from the East Indies, China, etc., which I have seen, are 

 smaller and less typical than the American forms. 



The species of Echinogorgia are mainly from the East Indies. The 

 ParamuTiccm are found on the European coasts, in the Mediterranean, 

 and one species, at least, in the West Indies and at Florida [P. clath- 

 rata (Dana sp.). The genus, Thesea Duch. and Mich., is a rare 

 West Indian form. Behryce Phil, is from the Mediterianean. An- 

 thogorgia and Astrogorgia Verrill, as yet represented only by one spe- 

 cies each, are from Hong Kong, while the genus, Heterogorgia V,, is 

 known only from Panama Bay, Acanthogorc^ia Gray, seems allied to 

 Miiricea^ and especially to Heterogorgia. It has several species : A. 

 coccinea V,,* from Hong Kong ; A. Atlantica and A. Grayi Johns., 

 from Madeira ; A. hirsuta Gray, locality doubtful ; and A', aspera 

 Pourtales,f off Havana, in 270 fathoms. Blejyharogorgla Schrammi 

 Duch. and Mich,, from Guadaloupe, is referred to the same genus by 

 Pourtales, biit it appears to agree better with Paramxiricea. The 

 genus, Acis Duch. and Mich., is also allied to Mnrlcea and has two 

 West Indian species. 



A. — VerruciB tulndar ; cells not bilabiate, loiver border not prolonged. 



Muricea acervata Verriii. 



Proceedings Boston Soc. Nat History, vol. x, p. 327, Apr., 1866. 



Plate VII, figure 5. Plate VIII, figure 1. 

 Corallum arborescently branched, dichotomous, rather stout and 

 rigid. The trunk divides very near the base into two or three main 



* Now Echinomuricea coccinea V., Am. Jour. Sci., xlvii, p 285. — Reprint. 

 f Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, No. 6, p. 113, 1867. 



