Alcyonaria G 21 



dried. This is due to the. abundance of minute rough white spicules (see PI. 

 II, figs. 5 a-g). The main stalk is naked near the base, or it may have a few 

 isolated calicles, but it soon gives off numerous short branches, which in con- 

 traction are mostly clavate or enlarged at the tip, and bear clusters of polyps 

 which are somewhat longer than those of G. rubiformis, and more rigid and 

 spiculose, especially distally, so that they seem nearly incapable of complete 

 retraction. These colonies are yellowish brown in alcohol and the spicules 

 are white. 



The calicles are somewhat larger and more stellate than in G. rubiformis, 

 and are slightly raised above the general surface (PL I, figs. 2b, 2c). The margin . 

 has eight blunt or rounded lobes; slightly raised riblets often radiate from the 

 lobes. The larger polyps are usually surrounded by some immature ones, 

 with very little ccenenchyma between them. The surface of the calicles and 

 interspaces is so filled with minute, rough, white spicules that it is rather 

 firm or stiff in contraction. 



The polyps, in alcohol, are mostly more or less exsert, though very often 

 the narrower proximal part is retracted wholly or partly into the calicles, leaving 

 the thicker distal part exposed, serving as a more or less swollen or conical 

 spiculose anthocodia. This distal part of the polyp body is covered with an 

 abundance of slender spindle-shaped, mostly acute spicules, arranged in chevrons 

 in eight double rows; but proximally the spicules become obliquely transverse 

 in about ten to twelve rows, where the anthocodia narrows down to the smaller 

 proximal region. The latter is much wrinkled, due to contraction, and bears 

 eight double rows of much smaller spicules, arranged chevron wise. 



The tentacles are long, swollen near the base, and have rather long and 

 slender pinnae. Small spicules extend some distance along the aboral .side, at 

 first arranged in chevrons, but becoming irregular in contracted specimens. 

 The tentacles seem not to be able to contract very much, but are often incurved 

 over the oral area. 



The surface spicules average about the same in size as those of G. rubiformis. 

 The most numerous of the larger kinds are shown on PI. II, figs. 5 h-1; but 

 there are many smaller and irregular forms, and a few compound crossed ones, 

 like fig. 5 p, also a considerable number of elongated simple warty spindles 

 like q, r, r, and s, which are magnified 165 diameters. The slender warty spindles 

 from the distal part of the polyps and anthocodia are shown in fig. 5 t, t. t, 

 which are magnified 165 times. 



The main stalk and naked part of the branches also have a layer of minute 

 spicules, some of the larger ones from the base being illustrated in fig. 5 a-g 

 magnified 165 times. 



The larger specimens strongly contracted in alcohol are 40 mm. high, and 

 35 mm. broad with 25 to 30 branches, divided into about 60 to 70 branchlets, 

 which are sometimes again divided. Some of the largest have as many as 35 

 branches. A young ovate specimen is 24 mm. high, and 11 mm. broad; naked 

 stalk is 5 mm. long, branches simple, about twenty. Many specimens were 

 taken in the gulf of St. Lawrence at Station 31, in about 30 fathoms, off 

 Cheticamp, N.S., Sept. 4, 1917, and at several other stations, by the Biological 

 Board vessel Prince. Cat. No. 53, Ccelenterates, Victoria Memorial Museum, 

 Ottawa (cotypes). 



This species closely resembles G. carnea in its form and mode of branching. 

 Perhaps it may eventually prove to be a variety of that species. The principal 

 distinctive feature is the larger size and the more elongated forms of the cortex 

 spiclues, which are also more abundant, and the more numerous and larger 

 spicules of the anthocodia and tentacles. 



