Verrill, Notes on Madiata, 465 



belong to the Alci/onacea, near Rhizozenia, which Dr. Kulliker refers 

 to the CoDiularidce. 



CLlllipodium Verrill, gen. nov. 



Coralhun encrusting stones and shells, witli a firm, more or less 

 thickened, finely granulous coenenchyma, which may spread either in 

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

 mit of round-topped ven-uca^, which ai'e more or less elevated above 

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

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

 to their summits. Polyj)s wholly contractile, and also cai)able of in- 

 volving the summits of the verrucoe, which, in contraction, are usually 

 distinctly eight-rayed. 



Spicula short, of moderate size, brightly colored, very al)un(lant in 

 the coenenchyma and verruca?, of various forms and sizes, mostly with 

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

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

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

 spindles, about tw^ce as long as broad, with distant, prominent, rough 

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

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

 warts. Type C. Pacificxmx V. 



This genus in some cliaracters resembles Erythopodiuni Kolliker, in 

 others Rhv^ozejiia Ehr., or at least M. rosea Dana {Evagora Phil.) as 

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

 nus with R. IVialassantha, the original type of the genus. The polyps 

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

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

 smaller. Erythropodium is described as having a membranous base, 

 with scarcely prominent vernicse, and the spicula are much smaller and 

 differently shaped. 



Having had no opportunity to examine tj 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 Rriareidce than to the Cornularidae^ and 1 am therefore 

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

 even the typical species of the genus Rrinreicm is sometimes found 

 growing in broad encrusting sheets on stones, or parasitically covering 

 the dead axis of many species of GorgonidcB. 



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



