202 THE GORGONACEA COLLECTED BY DR WILLEY. 



The polyps are borne chiefly on the two sides, and, as a rule, alternately. 



The verrucae are cylindrical in shape ; in no case has the polyp completely retracted, 

 the tentacles being visible. 



The verrucae measure Vo — 20 mm. in height, and l'o mm. in diameter at the base. 

 They are about 3 mm. apart. 



The coenenchyma is thin and smooth, being filled with closely packed, multi- 

 tuberculate spindles. The spicules are all colourless. 



The axis is sclerogorgic ; dark brown in colour in the main stem and lighter brown 

 in the branches. 



The base of the colony consists of a flat, spreading disc. 



The spicules measure 106 mm. x -27 mm. to - 24 mm. x -04 mm. 



The tentacular spicules measure '23 mm. x 03 mm. The spicules of the axis measure 

 •46 mm. x - 24 mm. 



The colony is pale fawn in colour. 



The spicules resemble those of Keroeides koreni, Wright and Studer (6), from the 

 Hyalonema ground off Japan, but the colour, size and general appearance of the colony 

 separate the two forms. It differs also in the same features from K. gracilis, Whitelegge. 



Habitat. Talili Bay, New Britain. Dredged in 30 fathoms. 



Family. Gorgonellidae. 



Verrucella guadalupensis, Duchassaing and Michelotti. (PI. XXIII. Figs. 1, 2.) 



There is one large specimen and several small pieces which may be fragments of the 

 large colony. 



It is much branched in one plane, the branching being irregular sometimes opposite 

 but generally alternate. 



The colony measures 310 mm. in height and the main stem is 35 mm. thick at 

 the base. 



The colony was attached by a calcareous enlargement at the base. 



The main stem gives off numerous thick branches, slightly less in diameter than the 

 stem itself at the point of branching. Between these branches are numerous small twigs. 



Each branch bears branches of the second order, which give off branches of the third 

 order, and so on up to the fifth order. Anastomoses occur fairly frequently even between 

 branches of the first order. 



All the branches arise at angles of about 60°. The axis is hard, lamellar, calcified ; 

 it is pale yellow in colour. 



The cortex is thin, smooth and friable, whitish in colour and appearing granulated 

 under the lens. 



There is no terminal polyp, the branches bearing two lateral, opposite polyps close to 

 the end. 



The verrucae are small and wart-like and are borne on all sides of the lower part of 

 the main stem at fairly large intervals. 



