Yerrill, Xotes on Macliata. 455 



belong to the Alcyonacea, near Ehizozenia, which Dr. Kolliker refers 

 to the Cornularidce. 



Callipodium Verrill, gen. nov. 



Coralhim encrusting stones and shells, with a firm, more or less 

 thickened, finely granulous coenenchyma, wliicli may spread either in 

 broad expansions or narrow stolons. Polyps rather large, at the sum- 

 mit of round-topped verruca^, which are more or less elevated above 

 the surface of the coenenchyma and either distantly scattered or close- 

 ly crowded togetlier ; in the latter case often united laterally nearly 

 to their summits. Polyps wholly contractile, and also capable of in- 

 volving the summits of the verruca?, which, in contraction, are usually 

 distinctly eight-rayed. 



Spicula short, of moderate size, brightly colored, very abundant in 

 the coenenchyma and verrucas, of various forms and sizes, mostly with 

 very roughly warted prominences, the largest about '30™"' long. The 

 most abundant forms have 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8 irregular projections, covered 

 at the ends with rough spinulose warts. Some are short, stout, blunt 

 spindles, about twice as long as broad, with distant, prominent, rough 

 warts. Some approach the forms of doul)le-clubs, double-heads, heads, 

 and crosses. Others are of various irregular forms, with distant rough 

 warts. Type (J. Pacificum V. 



This genus in some characters resembles Erytliopodhmi Kolliker, in 

 others JRhLozenia Ehr., or at least JR. rosea Dana {Evagora Phil.) as 

 characterized by Dr. Kolliker, which may not belong to the same ge- 

 nus with a. Thalassantha, the original type of the genus. The polyps 

 of Rhizozenia are said to be non-contractile ; the texture of the coen- 

 enchyma is quite different ; and the spicula (in R. rosea) are much 

 smaller. Erytliropodmm is described as having a membianous base, 

 with scarcely prominent verruca?, and the spicula aj'e much smaller and 

 difibrently shaped. 



Having had no opportunity to examine t} pical specimens of either 

 of those genera I have found it difficult to decide to which the present 

 genus is most nearly allied. In the texture of the coenenchyma, and 

 especially in the structure of the spicula, it appears to be more nearly 

 allied to the Briareidm than to the Cormdarida?, and 1 am therefore 

 inclined to regard it as an encrusting genus of the former family, since 

 even the typical species of the genus Rriareum is sometimes found 

 growing in broad encrusting sheets on stones, or parasitically covering 

 the dead axis of many species of GorgonidcB. 



Teans. Connecticut Acad., Vol. I. 58 February, 1869. 



