176 Natural Historv Bulletin. 



sual delicacy and j^rrace. Another very strange form came up 

 in the shape of long, harsh, hair-like filaments which were 

 unbranched and seemed to have a spiral twist. They looked 

 so much like horse-hair that some one facetiously ventured 

 the suggestion that they were hairs from the sea-horse's tail. 

 This is one of the Antipatharian corals, a group characterized 

 bv having a flexible, horny axis beset with thorns, while the 

 polyps have the unusual primitive number of six tentacles.. 

 Our species would belong to the genus Cirrhipaihes, accord- 

 ing to Milne Edwards' arrangement. Some of these speci- 

 mens attain a height of nearh- three feet, and came from a 

 depth of about sixty fathoms. Another species belonging to 

 this familv is quite different in shape, having numerous pin- 

 nately disposed branches, which are very long in proportion to 

 the height of the colonv, about three inches. It came from deep- 

 er water than the last, and does not seem to be so abundant. 



Passing now to the regular corals, we find that a number 

 of the simple corals of the Cyathophvlloid type are included 

 in the collection. Thev cannot, however, be even approxi- 

 mately identified with the literature at hand, imless we except 

 Rhizolrochiis fragilis Pourtales and HapIofhxlUa paradoxa 

 Pourtales.'^ Several species were secured in considerable 

 quantities. One of these, probabh- a Thecopsaminia. was a 

 bright red when it came up in the dredge. 



We were greatly surprised to see a number of specimens- 

 of OciiUna. perhaps O. arbnscula Lesson, come up in the 

 dredge where the soundings indicated a depth of eighty fath- 

 oms. The specimens were fresh, and had evidently been in 

 place when caught by the dredge. Several cyathophylloid 

 corals came up at the same time. I have seen no record of 

 reef-building species being found at such a depth. It does 

 not seem possible that there was an abrupt elevation upon 

 which the OcnJin:i was growing, as this would have been per- 

 ceptible bv the feel of the dredge rope. 



iThe writer wishes to take occasion to acknowledge the great aid he has- 

 enjoyed in his work by constant reference to the many excellent figures im 

 Alexander Agassiz' "Three Cruises of the 'Blake.'"' 



