S U BORDER A LCYON ARIA. 611 



Greenish, fruticulose ; tentacles yellow, spicula of the verrucae green. 

 Red Sea. Savigny. Ehrenberg. 



Nephthie, Savigny, Egyp. Polyp., pi. 2, Nephthya Savignyi, Ehrenb., G. xxvii., 



fig. 5. fig. 1. 



AmmatJiea Chabrolii, Audouin, Explic. des The Neptcea Savignyii, of Blainville, is 



planches de Savigny. the Ammothea virescens, of Savigny, 



za innominata, Blainv., Man., 523. which see. 



NOTE. Ehrenberg describes a second species, from the Red Sea, as the Nephthya 

 florida, referring to it Esper's figure of the Alcyonium Jloridum. Esper's species is 

 beyond doubt a Spoggodia, with the polyps not retractile. Ehrenberg's description is as 

 follows: " Lcete purpurea, fruticulosa, verrucarum spiculis incequalibus, una longissima." 

 This author also adds to the genus the Gorgonia florida, figured on tab. 137, of Zool. 

 Dan. of Miiller, proposing to name it Nephthya Rathkiana. 



GENUS VII. ALCYONIUM. 



Alcyonidce carnosce, fruticuloso-ramosce, explanatce et glomeratce, scepius 

 crasse stipitata; ; polypis omnino retractilibus ; zoophytis contractis 

 super fide levibus; stipite polyporum tubulis visceraiibus omnino per- 

 forate. 



Carnose Alcyonidse, fruticuloso-ramose, explanate and glomerate, and 

 usually very stout stipitate; polyps wholly retractile, and the zoo- 

 phytes without verrucse when contracted; pedicel perforated to its 

 base with the visceral tubes of the polyps. 



Ramose, explanate, and glomerate forms occur in this group, as in 

 many other genera of zoophytes. The branching species have a 

 very stout base or pedicel, consisting of aggregated visceral tubes, 

 and bearing above a cluster of branches, lobes, or branched lobes, 

 at summit, with the branches usually but little subdivided. The 

 explanate species spread in broad plates, sometimes covering several 

 square feet, and have a plaited border. The pedicel is perforated to 

 its base with the tubular visceral cavities of the polyps. When con- 

 tracted, the surface is smooth, and dotted over with minute points, 

 sometimes appearing stellate ; but on expansion, the body of the 

 branches is entirely concealed by the polyp-flowers that cover them. 



