14 G Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-1918 



in suitable places. Some of Nutting's specimens which he identified with others 

 from British Columbia, came from off Pacific Grove, Cal. Pavonaria willemoesi 

 Kolliker was from Japan. 



The earlier specimens were accompanied by statements that it was in the 

 habit of "swimming" or "darting" actively about with "other fishes." It 

 may be believed that it ordinarily stands erect in the mud like all the related 

 species. In that position it may have been easily caught up on fish lines. 



Suborder GORGONACEA Verrill, 1865. 



Family PRIMNOID^E M. Edw., 1857; Gray, 1859. 



Primnoa reseda (Pallas) Verrill. 



Gorgonia reseda forma GUNNERUS, Trondhjemske Selsk. Skriv., 2, p. 321, pi. 

 IX, 1763. 



Gorgonia reseda PALLAS, Elenchus Zooph., p. 204, 1766. 



Gorgonia lepadifera LINNE, Syst. Nat. Ed. XII, part 2, p. 1289, 1767; ELLIS and 

 SOLANDER, 1786, p. 84, pi. 13, figs. 1, 2. 



Primnoa lepadifera LAMOUROUX, Hist. Polyp .flex., 1816, p. 442, and of many later 

 writers. 



Primnoa reseda VERRILL, Bullet. Mus. Comp. Zool. vol. I, p. 37, 1864; Revision 

 Polyps U.S. Coast, p. 9, 1864; Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. X, p. 355, 

 1866; Ann. Rep. Comm. of Fish and Fisheries, p. 533, 1885. J. ARTHUR 

 THOMSON, Proc. Royal Phys. Soc.,' Edinburgh, vol. 17, pp. 65-72, pis. 

 1, 2, 1907. 



Primnoa resedceformis BROCH, Kongl. Ved. Selsk. Skr., 1912, No. 2, p. 32. 

 KUKENTHAL, Zool. Anz. vol. 46, No. 5, p. 146, 1915. JUNGERSEN, Bergens 

 Mus. Aarbok, 1915-16 (2), p. 26 (distribution). 



Plate IV; Figs. 4-6. Plate IX; Fig. I. 



A well-grown much branched specimen of this species was taken many 

 years ago off the northern coast of British Columbia (PL IV). I have seen a 

 good photograph of the entire specimen, and have examined some of the well- 

 preserved branches. I have been unable to find any characters distinguishing 

 it from the well-known North Atlantic form. The latter is found on the Ameri- 

 can coast of large size, often two or three feet high, with a stout trunk, hard and 

 calcified at the base. It is common on the fishing banks off Newfoundland and 

 Nova Scotia, and rare on the fishing banks off the coast of Maine. It occurs 

 in 50 to 150 fathoms, usually on rough rocky bottoms, nearly always attached 

 to rocks of considerable size, so that it is often difficult to bring it up entire, 

 or to detach it from the rocks when well grown, for its axis is very hard and 

 strong, and its base is broadly attached. For these reasons it is seldom taken 

 by dredging, though sometimes it has been taken by using the ^'tangles" 

 on the "Albatross" expeditions. All the larger entire specimens have been 

 brought up entangled on the deep-water trawl-lines of the fishermen on the 

 "Banks." 



It was taken by the "Albatross" in 1883, on Brown's bank, south of Nova 

 Scotia, in 100 to 131 fathoms. It is not known to occur south of the mouth 

 of the bay of Fundy and gulf of Maine. 



It is rather widely distributed on the northern coasts of Europe, from 

 Scotland to Norway, to Iceland and to West Greenland, etc., and is therefore 

 probably circumpolar. 



