Verrill, JVotes 07i Radiata. 499 



Sub-order, ANTIPATHACEA. 

 Antlpathina (family) Elir., op. cit., p. 154, 1834. 

 Antiputhacea (tnbe) Dana, Zooph., p. 574, 1846. 

 Antipatharia (suborder) Edw. and H., CoraU., i, p. 311, 1857. 

 Antipathacea (suborder) Verrill, Proc. Essex Inst, iv, p. 147, 1865. 



Polyps short, arising hj budding from a common basal membrane, 

 which secretes an internal horn-like axis, or supjjort, from its internal 

 surface, similar to the axis of Gorgonidm. Tentacles few and simple, 

 6 to 24 in number. 



This suborder appeai-s to include but two families : Antipathidm 

 in which the polyps have 6 tentacles ; and Gerardido:, in which they 

 have 24. The living polyps have been observed, however, in but few 

 species, and when better known it may become necessary to establish 

 other families. 



Family, Antipathid.e Dana, Zooph., p. 574. 



Polyps with G tentacles. Axis sim})le or variously branched ; usu- 

 ally black, with the surface more or less spinulose, sometimes smooth, 

 not sulcated. 



Antipathes Pallas (restricted). 

 P]lenchus Zoopliytoruni, p. 205, 1766; Edw. and H , Corall., i, p. 314, 1857. 



Axis much branched and subdivided ; the branchlets not coalescent. 

 Surface of the branchlets spinulose. 



This genus, which is here adopted as restricted by Edwards and 

 Haime, is not yet satisfactorily circumscribed, since generic characters 

 derived only from the mode of growth and branching are always 

 unsatisfactory in classifying compound Zoophytes. It is probable 

 that when more of the species shall have been examined in the living 

 state, or when the microscopic structure of the preserved specimens 

 shall have been more fully investigated, it will become necessary to 

 remodel the genera of this family. 



Antipathes Panamensis VerriU, sp. nov. 



Corallum arborescently and densely branched and finely sul)divided ; 

 the small branches mostly bipinnate and tripinnate. The trunk is 

 quite stout and subdivides in an irregularly arborescent manner into 

 many secondary branches, which divide in the same way. The result- 

 ing small branches arise in large numbers along the sides of the larger 

 branches, at distances of -08 to -20 of an inch, many of them remain- 

 ing small, simple or sparingly divided branchlets, but mostly subdi- 

 viding in a pinnate, bipinnate, or even tri^jinnate mamier. The final 



