lOO Natural History Bulletin. 



BRIAREUM ASBESTINUM.i 



ZoANTHODEME fleshv, the coenenchyma being extremely 

 thick; branches comparatively short and clavate, color pink 

 or purple, fading at the tips of branches; height not more 

 than 15 inches in any of the specimens seen. 



Calicles included, with a slightly elevated ring around their 

 openings; apertures round, appearing as dark round dots on 

 surface of the zoanthodeme. 



Polyps dark brown when fresh, completely retractile. They 

 project farther from the zoanthodeme when fully expanded 

 than those of any other species examined, and present a fair 

 type of alcyonoid polyps. When expanded,^ they completely 

 conceal the branches and present what appears to be a solid 

 mass of polyps. The tentacles, eight in number, as is the 

 case with all alcyonoid polyps, are very extensile and mobile, 

 waving constantly when expanded, and presenting a picture 

 of grace and activity. The tips of the tentacles were often 

 observed to pass into the mouth as if carrying food. When 

 the polyp expands after retraction the tips of the tentacles ap- 

 pear to issue from the mouth. This appearance is due to the 

 fact that the tentacles when retracted are enclosed in a sort of 

 sack formed by the body wall; the opening of this sack looks 

 like a mouth and from this the tentacles protrude, tips first. 



Each tentacle has a small aperture or pore in the distal 

 end and two rows of papillag along each side. The individual 

 papilla is movable but apparently not retractile. The surface 



1 Identified from memory by Dr. J Walter Fewkes. 



2 The best results in killing the polyps expanded were obtained hy suddenly 

 flunging the zoanthodeme with expanded polyps into fresh ivater heated as hot as 



can be borne by the hand. 



A decoction of tobacco was used with some success. This method requires 

 more patience than is usually possessed by naturalists whose time is precious. 

 The decoction was slowly dropped from a pipette into the jar containing the 

 expanded coral. At first only a drop at a time at intervals of fifteen or twenty 

 seconds, can be ventured; after a while the process may be gradually hastened. 

 When the polyps seem to be entirely stupefied, fresh water may be introduced 

 by means of a siphon, and the zoanthodeme thoroughly washed; it may then 

 be passed through several grades of alchohol, say 50, 60, 70, 95 per cent. 



