i6 



Psammogorgia Verrill. 



Psammogorgia Verrill. American Journal of Science and Arts, XLV, 1 868, p. 413. 

 Psammogorgia Verrill. Transactions Connecticut Academy of Sciences, Vol. I, Part 2, 1867 71, 



p. 414. 



Psammogorgia Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1889, p. LIX. 

 Psammogorgia Nutting. Alcyonaria of the Californian Coast. Proceedings of the U. S. National 



Museum, Vol. XXXV, 1909, p. 719. 



The original description of this genus by VERRILL is as follows: 



"Corallum dichotomous or subpinnate, with round branches. Axis horn-like. Ccenenchyma 

 moderately thick, the surface finely granulated with small rough spicula. Cells scattered, some- 

 times flat, more frequently raised in the form of rounded verrucse. Polyps with rather large 

 elongated, slender, warty spindles at the bases of the tentacles. Spicules of the ccenenchyma 

 mostly short, thick and very rough, warty spindles and rough, warty clubs of moderate size". 



As the author has remarked on another occasion (loc. cit.) this genus does not conform 

 very well to the accepted characters of the family Plexauridse, particularly in the absence of 

 regularity in the disposition of the watervascular canals. 



The species grouped together by professor VERRILL under the name Psammogorgia seem 

 to be nearer this family, however, than any other thus far described, and the present writer 

 prefers to follow VERRILL in regarding it as an aberrant genus of Plexauridae rather than to 

 raise it to family rank. 



The type of the genus is Psammogorgia arbuscula Verrill. The other known species 

 are Psammogorgia fusca Verrill, P. fucosa Verrill, P. gracilis Verrill, P. simplex Nutting, 

 P. spauldingi Nutting, P. teres Verrill and P. torreyi Nutting. 



i . Psammogorgia arbuscula Verrill. 



Echinogorgia arbuscula Verrill. Proceedings Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. X, 



1866, p. 329. 



Psammogorgia arbuscula Verrill. American Journal of Science and Arts, XIV, 1868, p. 413. 

 Psammogorgia arbuscula Verrill. Transactions Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 



Vol. I, Part 2, 1867 71, p. 414. 

 Psammogorgia arbuscula Nutting. Alcyonaria of the Californian Coast, 1909, p. 719. 



Stat. 262. 553'.8S., I3248'.8E. Between Kei Islands. 560 meters. Mud. 



Colony subflabellate in form, attaining a height of 22 cm. About 3 cm. from its base 

 the main stem divides into three branches, two of which are subequal and form the main part 

 of the colony. The third is smaller and bears two short, distant branches on the same side. 

 The other two are joined by the anastomoses of two branchlets, one from each. One of them 

 gives off two other branches from one side, and the other but one. The terminal branches are 

 all long and slender, in one case attaining a length of about 19 cm. They are of about the 

 same diameter (3 mm.) throughout. The calyces are unevenly distributed on all sides of the 

 branches, although there are long bare species on the back of some of the branches. Otherwise 

 they average about 2.5 mm. apart. 



