Verrill^ Notes on Radiata. 413 



The following species, which I have not seen, is placed here with 

 much doubt. In its external characters it appears to resemble some 

 species of Kugorgia^ but the form of the si>icula, if correctly stated, 

 would indicate affinities with Psamniogorgla or Plexaura. Edwards 

 and Haime describe it as folloAvs :* 

 Echinogorgia aurantiaca Vcn-m. (Lei'togorgia aurantiaca, 1st Kd.). 



Plexaura aurantiaca Val., Coniptes-rendus, xli, p. 12. 

 Leptogorgia aurantiaca Edw. and Ilaimo, CoralL, i, p. 165, 185T. 



Corallum rather braiicliing, 1)ranches pretty stout, the last elongated. 

 Calicles crowded and very distinct throiighout. Spicula in the form 

 of warty clubs (" slerites en massue'"). Color ferruginous yellow. 

 Callao ("Calloa"). 



PhyCOgOrgia Val. ; l-^dw. and Haime, CoralL, :, p. 182. 



Axis lamellar and dilated in the form of membranous leaflets, sim- 

 ilar to a fucus, and covered with a thin sclerenchyma, perforated by 

 poriform calicles. (Edw. and Haime). 

 PhyCOgOrgia fucata Val. ; Edw. and Haime. 



Gorgoaia fucata Yal., Voyag-e de la Venus, Zool., PI. 11, fig. 2. 



Corallum thin, expanded, divided into ramose fronds, the branches 

 of which are contracted at their base and enlarged toward the sum- 

 mit. Calicles small and close. Color rosy. Mazatlan. (E, and H.) 



Family, Plexaurid^ Gray. 



Annals and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1859, p. 442. 

 EunicidoR KoUiker, Icones Histiologicaj, p. 137, 1865. 



Corallum usually dichotomous and more or less arborescent. Axis 

 horn-like, or more or less calcareous, especially at base. Longitudi- 

 nal ducts equal, arranged regularly all around the axis. Coenenchy- 

 ma usually thick. Cells scattered over all parts of the surface, flat, 

 or elevated on prominent verrucas. Tentacles at base, and sides of 

 the polyps stifiened with large fusiform spicula. Spicula of the coenen- 

 chyma usually large, of various forms, most frequently there are large 

 warty spindles mingled with clubs or crosses. 



The three principal genera of this family, Plexaura^ Plexaurella^ 

 and JEunicea, which are each represented by numerous large and 

 common species in the Caribbean Fauna, appear to be entirely absent 

 from the Pacific coast of America. 



The following genus, which is scarcely a typical representative of 

 the family, appears alone to replace the larger forms of the Atlantic. 



* Spicula from the original specimen, sent by Dr. Kolliker, show that it is an Echino- 

 gorgia, — Reprint. 



