656 Yerrill, JVbtes on Radiata. 



The two following descriptions are reproduced from the American 

 Journal of Science, xlviii, pp. 427 and 428, 1869. The spicula were 

 prepared from the original specimens and sent by Prof. A. KoUiker. 



Psammogorgia fucosa VerrUi, p. 4i7. 



The spicula from the original example of this species show that it 

 is very distinct from the species that I have hitherto referred to it 

 [Leptogorgia Caryi). It appears, judging from the spicula, to be a 

 Psammogorgia, allied to P. teres, but quite distinct. The figure rep- 

 resents it as 10 inches high and 9 broad, with the branches about '15 

 of an inch thick, enlarged at the axils. Several stems arise from one 

 base, as is usual in P. arhuscula, the largest trunk being half an inch 

 in diametei-. The branches are irregularly dichotomous, the divisions 

 being '5 to J inches apart ; the final branchlets are stout, scarcely 

 tapering, obtuse or clavate at the ends, often crooked, '5 to 1 inch 

 long, '12 to "18 of an inch in diameter. Cells small, oblong or oval, 

 flat on the branches, slightly raised on the branchlets. Color dull 

 reddish. 



It is remarkable for the great diversity in form and color of the 

 spicula. These are white, yellowish, light red, deep red, and amethys- 

 tine intermingled. They are mostly stout, blunt, and covered with 

 large rough warts. Among them are various forms of spindles, double- 

 spindles, double-heads, heads, and stout warty clubs, with various 

 irregular forms. The stout double spindles, which are most numer- 

 ous, are short and thick, mostly with obtusely rounded ends, some- 

 times acute, median naked space narrow, bordered by whorls of large, 

 coarse, rough warts, beyond which there are usually one or two whorls 

 of smaller warts and a terminal cluster, but in many cases there are 

 none between the median whorls and the terminal cluster, in other 

 cases the whorls become crowded and thus the forms pass into large, 

 stout " double-heads," in which the ends are rounded and densely cov- 

 ered with rough warts. 



Numerous spicula lack the naked median space and are densely cov- 

 ered with large rough warts, some of these are short and rounded, in 

 the form of heads ; others are longer, tapering at l)oth ends, and have 

 the form of very stout spindles ; others are large at one end, with the 

 other tapering, or club-shaped. The polyp-spicula are long, slender 

 spindles, tapering quite regularly to both ends and covered with small 

 warts. The large double-spindles measure •156""" by "072, '156 by 

 •066, -150 by ^072, '144 by ^084, ^144 by -060; the smaller ones "120 

 by -060, •lOB by -060, -072 by '048; double-heads -132 by "096, ^132 by 

 •090, -096 by ^084; the heads -108 by ^084, ^048 by ^048; the stout 



