Verrill, JVbtes on Radiata. 431 



a single plane, — a feature that is more characteristic of tlie smaller 

 specimens. The branches and branchlets iisually arise from 'o to I'o 

 inches apart, spreading in a wide curve at first, or even nearly at right 

 angles, and then becoming sub-parallel. The brandies occasionally 

 coalesce sparingly. The terminal branchlets are 'o to 2 inches long, 

 as large as or larger than the smaller branches, and mostly increase in 

 size from their origin to the end, which is well rounded. The verruca 

 are prominent, sub-conical, with an acute lower lip, near together, but 

 yet scarcely crowded, and not imbricated, usually forming an angle of 

 about 45° with the surface, closely covered by rough, stout, rather 

 short spindles, tapering to the ends, which scarcely project above the 

 surface, except slightly at the summit of the verrucse. Cells opening on 

 the upper side of the verrucne, filled when fresh with a cluster of light 

 yellow polyp-spindles. Coenenchyma moderately thick, firm, with a 

 hard rough surface, covered Avith stout, mostly obtuse, rough spicula, 

 some of wdiich are much larger than those of the verruca?. Axis 

 wood-l)rown and not calcareous at base ; black in the branches and 

 usually a little compressed, especially at the axils ; yellowish brown, 

 coarse, and rigid in the branchlets. Color uniform reddish or yellow- 

 ish brown. 



Height of largest specimen, from Panama, 9 inches; breadth 15 by 

 13; diameter of main branches '40; of secondary "30 ; of branchlets 

 at base "20 to "25 ; at summit, including verrucas, '25 to "35 ; length of 

 verruca? '05 to -10; diameter about "05. Another sub-flabelliform 

 specimen from Pearl Islands is 9 inches high and 10 broad, with the 

 branches and verruca? as in the other. One from Cape St. Lucas is 8 

 inches high and 6 broad ; the branchlets near the ends mostly '35, 

 rarely "40, in diameter; the longest verrucas "12 of an inch in length. 



The largest spicula are all rather short and stout, mostly oblong or 

 oval in outline, with obtuse or truncate ends, only a portion of them 

 being short spindles. The longer spici;la are mostly oblong, with obtuse 

 ends, or stout fusiform, tapering somewhat to one or both ends, which 

 are blunt ; one side covered with large, conical spinules, the others with 

 rather large, close set, rough warts. The stouter spicula differ but 

 little from the longer ones, except in being shorter and thicker, gene- 

 rally oblong or oval, and truncate at the ends. They are often irreg- 

 ular, or lobed at one or both ends. The small spindles are rather 

 stout, tapering but little, blunt at the ends, and covered with large, 

 prominent, rough wai'ts, about their OAvn diameter apart. Small, irreg- 

 ular, very warty or spiny S})icula occur, which are nearly as long as 

 broad; also irregular star-shaped spicula, and nearly round Avarty 



Tbans. Connecticut Acad. Vol.1. 55 January, 1869. 



