54 



exserted calyces are borne on the outer periphery of the thinner branches. The spicules resemble 

 those of his, being thick, irregular, often with a median constriction and beset with verrucse". 



This writer says that Trinella swinhoei Gray is really the axis of a Parisis overgrown 

 by a sponge and bearing Polythoa which GRAY mistook for the polyps of his Trinella. 



The type of this genus is Parisis fruticosa Verrill. The only other known species is 

 P. minor Wright and Studer. 



WRIGHT and STUDER regard Parisis mauritiensis Ridley as a synonym for P. fruticosa^ 

 and THOMSON and SIMPSON conclude that P. indica Thomson and Henderson should also be 

 relagated to the same well-known form. 



i . Parisis fruticosa Verrill. 



Parisis fruticosa Verrill. Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, I, 1865, p. 23. 

 ? Trinella swinhoei Gray. Catalogue of Lithophytes in the British Museum, 1870, p. 12. 

 Parisis mauritiensis Ridley. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 5 A series, Vol. X, 



1882, p. 131. 



Parisis fruticosa Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1889, p. 182. 

 Parisis indica Thomson and Henderson. Alcyonarians of the Indian Ocean, I, 1906, p. 23. 

 Parisis fruticosa Thomson and Simpson. Alcyonaria of the Indian Ocean, II, 1909, p. 176. 



Stat. 204. 42o'S., 122 58' E. From 75 to 94 meters. Sand with dead shells. 

 Stat. 260. 5 36'. 58., I3255'.2E. 90 meters. Sand, coral and shells. 

 Stat. 274. 528'.2S., I3453'.9E. 57 meters. Sand and shells. Stones. 



Colony subflabellate in form, 46.5 cm. in height, with a spread of about 15 cm., and 

 extensively encrusted with a sponge. The base of attachment is lacking. The stem and all 

 branches are round, the former being 7 mm. in diameter and 5.5 cm. long to first branch. 

 The calcareous and horny segments are equal in diameter and not externally evident, except 

 in the stem and larger branches. The nodes vary from 4 mm. (proximal) to less than i mm. 

 (distal) in length. The calcareous internodes are more constant in the sense that their extreme 

 variation is less, but do not increase as regularly from proximal to distal parts of the colony 

 as in many species of this family. They vary from 2 to 6 mm. in length. The main stem 

 gives off a number of small irregular lateral branches, four of which are compound, from its 

 proximal 10 cm., and the stem bends outward and then upward. It then forks into two unequal 

 parts and each of these gives off numerous lateral branchlets both simple and compound, some 

 of which rebranch until branchings of the 6 th order are attained. The ultimate twigs are about 

 1.3 mm. in diameter, measured between the calyces. These latter are rather thickly distributed 

 on all sides of the distal branchlets, but usually they are on but three sides of the branches 

 and on some they are strictly lateral. . 



The individual calyces are dome-shaped, but tilted so that their summits are inclined 

 toward the distal ends of the branches. A typical one measures 1.4 mm. high and 1.2 mm. 

 in diameter near its base. The calyx walls are filled with a neatly fitted mosaic of polygonal 

 spicules whose edges form close joints and do not seem to overlap. The polyps are very minute, 

 and their attachment to the inside of the calyx, when strongly contracted, is so firm that 

 satisfactoly investigation is very difficult. They are either devoid of spicules or very feebly spiculated. 



