416 Verrill, Notes on MacUata. 



warts. Some of the largest are stouter, but acute, and often curved 

 or irregular in outline. Stouter spindles very irregular in form and 

 size, often blunt, very rough and thorny, warts not crowded.* Clubs 

 slender, small end acute, enlarging regularly toward the large end, 

 which is crowded with warts of small size. 



The longer spindles measure -216'"™ by090, -204 by -084, -204 by 

 •060, -180 by -060 ; stouter spindles -132 by -084, -132 by -060, -120 by 

 •072; clubs -162 by •048; heads -102 by -072; crosses -192 by -132; 

 polyp-spindles -252 by -042, '240 by "042, '240 by -036, -204 by '042, 

 •204 by -030. 



Pearl Islands, — F, H. Bradley. 



Tliis form resembles, in its branches and cells, var. Doioii, but dif- 

 fers in its color and somewhat in the spicula, which are less thickly 

 warted and usually not quite so stout. 



Psammogorgia teres Verriii, sp. nov. 



Plate V, figure 18. Plate VII, figure 1. 



Corallum dichotomous, large, flabelliform, with rather large, round 

 branches, which are often curved. The base is expanded, often giv- 

 ing rise to more than one trunk. The stem forks within half an inch 

 from the base, where it is large and round. The main branches again 

 fork irregularly, and also give off numerous branches and branchlets at 

 distances of half an inch or less, in an irregularly subpinnate and 

 often secund manner. These are all round and thick, and bend out- 

 ward at the axils with a broad curve, and then turn upward, but 

 most of them are more or less crooked throughout, and not unfre- 

 quently coalesce. The terminal branchlets are considerably smaller 

 than the main branches, and usually taper slightly to the blunt ends. 

 Cells large, distant, scattered over the whole surface, flat or very lit- 

 tle raised. Coenenchyma thin, with a finely granulated surface, bright 

 red. Axis dull yellowish, woody in appearance ; thick, opaque, and 

 soft in the branchlets. Height 10 inches; breadth 8 inches ; diameter 

 of trunk ^40 ; of main branches '18 to "22 ; of branchlets -12 to •IS. 

 Spicula bright red, varied in size and form. The greater pai*t are 

 rather large, short, stout spindles, covered with numerous, very prom- 

 inent, rough warts, arranged on each end in two or three irregular 

 whorls; ends scarcely acute. Others are longer and more slender, 



* Theso principally form the external layer, but are mingled with a few clubs and 

 other forms. In this genus there is no very distinct superficial layer of smaller club- 

 shaped spicula, such as is found in Eunicea, Plexaura, and Plexaurella. Hence I place 

 the genus in this family with some doubt. It is, apparently, allied to Astrogorgia and 

 may possibly belong to the Primnoidse, near Muricea. 



