Alcyonaria G 5 



stems, smaller than the enlarged ends. The main stem may be very short 

 or somewhat elongated and free from branches or calicles near the base, which 

 usually spreads out in a thin expansion for attachment to pebbles, shells, etc. 

 The lower part of the stem and basal expansion may often be nearly destitute 

 of the close covering of red spicules that occurs elsewhere, and then, when 

 dried it has a cartilaginous appearance, and is rather tough not friable. Its 

 surface is strongly wrinkled. The surface of the branches carrying polyps is 

 covered with a thin but firm layer, consisting largely of a compact aggregation 

 of minute rough spicules, bright red or pale red in colour, which give the surface 

 a finely granular appearance under a pocket lens, and impart a red colour to 

 the entire corallum. These spicules are of several forms, but mostly to be 

 classed as irregular, short, lobed, or warty spindles, double spindles, and 

 ellipsoids, mixed with fewer elongated rough spindles. (See PI. II, figs. 1-4). 



The polyps, in preserved specimens, are usually completely contracted, 

 and their calicles mostly appear as small, convex, slightly elevated mammillae, 

 with a small roundish central cavity, sometimes with its border slightly eight- 

 lobed, or little stellate, but often entirely closed in extreme contraction. (PL 

 I, fig. le). Sometimes the calicles are close together or separated only by their 

 walls, with scarcely any ccenenchyma properly called; in other cases they 

 have a notable amount between them. 1 



Occasionally the polyps do not contract entirely, and then they show a 

 conical anthocodia, containing eight feeble double rows of minute elongated, 

 rough, fusiform spicules, arranged in chevrons. (See PL I, figs, la, s-s"). 



In transverse sections the stem contains a considerable number of large 

 longitudinal tubes separated by thin walls, which contain a relatively very 

 small number of minute spicules, similar to those of the surface. 



The proximal or mesenterial part of the polyp-wall is thin and nearly or 

 quite destitute of spicules; when any are present they are mostly small spindles. 



Sections of the branches show a number of similar tubes of smaller size, 

 increasing in size downward. These tubes are often so crowded that they 

 appear polygonal in contracted specimens, but are roundish when less con- 

 tracted. When dried their walls are very thin, but in well-preserved specimens 

 or fresh specimens, they are thicker and muscular. (See PL I, fig. Id). In 

 the smaller branches a central larger tube can often be distinguished, surrounded 

 by a number of smaller tubes, as in fig. Id. These tubes usually contain two 

 or more longitudinal mesenterial infoldings, which are continuations of some 

 of the mesenteries of the polyps. They also frequently contain the eggs. (See 

 PL I, fig. If). Fresh or well-preserved specimens, when not much contracted, 

 have a very different appearance. (PL XVIIa, fig. 1). In these the naked stem 

 is more or less elongated, and the branches are also elongated, and have the 

 proximal part naked, while the tips are enlarged, rounded, or thick club-shaped 

 and bear a cluster of more or less numerous elongated polyps, translucent in 

 expansion, giving a very elegant appearance to the whole corallum, in life. 

 The polyps, in expansion, are two or three times longer than broad. They are 

 often nearly destitute of spicules, except on the distal anthocodial portion, 

 just below the bases of the tentacles, where there are eight usually inconspicuous 

 double rows of slender spicules, arranged in chevrons. (See PL I, figs. la). 

 These spicules are about 0-13 to 0-15 mm. long, and 0-02 to 0-022 mm. thick. 

 Sometimes a few smaller spicules occur in the proximal part of the tentacles. 



The expanded polyps, when mature, are about 2 to 2-5 mm. long and 0-7 

 mm. thick. Their tentacles are usually nearly destitute of spicules, translucent, 

 and have plump, roundish stalks and elongated pinnae. Each fully-developed 

 polyp is usually surrounded by a number of smaller, young ones, of various 

 sizes, produced as buds, as in fig. la 1 . 



1 Several bright red specimens from Alaska (Station 20o) have unusually small polyps; in contraction 

 the calicles are like small pinholes. These I have named as a rew variety, parvistella. 



