46 G Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-1918 



Family NEPHTHYID^) Verrill, 1869. 

 Drifa glomerata Verrill. (See above, Page 31 G). ' Sea Cauliflower.' 



Plate V; Figs. 2-2a. Plate XIV; Figs. 2-2b. Plate XV; Figs. 1-5. Plate XVI la; 

 Figs. 2, 3. Text Figures 5, 12. 



Three good specimens of this species were obtained. These confirm the 

 identification of Vceringia flavesens Danielssen with this species and show that 

 Eunephthya glomerata Molander is not the true glomerata Verrill. 



These later and larger specimens agree well with the original general figures 

 of Danielssen and the spicules (PI. XV, figs. 1, 2) correspond well with his figures, 

 (same Plate, Figs. 3, 4) and also with those of my type specimen (PL V, fig. 2a). 



The largest specimen, well preserved in alcohol, but strongly contracted, 

 is 85 mm. high and 75 mm. broad ; diameter of stem, 14 mm. PL XVIIa, figs. 2. 3. 



Mr. Johansen states that its colour has kept fairly well in alcohol. It is 

 now rather dark yellowish brown, the color being in the soft tissues. The spicules 

 are white. The trunk-stem is relatively small and is strongly grooved, due to 

 vigorous contraction. It is but slightly translucent, rather firm, but flexible, 

 and its somewhat thick cortex contains numerous small thorny spicules of 

 various forms, beneath the surface. 



The main trunk and the stems of the branches and branchlets are con- 

 cealed almost completely by the abundance of the crowded polyps, but can be 

 seen in places by pushing the groups apart. The trunk gives rise to numerous 

 short branches from the base to the summit. The branches, as now contracted, 

 have short stalks, or may be nearly sessile. Most arise from one side of the 

 trunk. The branches, as covered by the crowded branchlets and polyps, are 

 mostly ovate-conical or pine-cone shaped. The branches are covered with num- 

 erous small, short branchlets, shaped like the branches and bearing numerous 

 crowded and unequal polyps, often up to twelve or fourteen on each. Some 

 occur, . however, with few polyps and small branchlets are also found arising 

 directly from the main stalk. 



The polyps are so closely crowded by contraction that they overlap or 

 appear imbricated and many of the mature ones are incurved more or less. 

 The larger ones are from 1 to 2 mm. long and 0-75 to 1-00 mm. broad. Between 

 these are many young ones not more than half as large, but of the same form. 

 All have the tentacles closely incurved, so that they show only the convex outer 

 basal portions, which form eight acute convergent lobes, containing an abund- 

 ance of small, white, rough, irregular spicules arranged chevronwise with their 

 spinules directly outwardly. (See PL XIV, fig. 2a).) 



The polyp bodies are more or less clavate or clove-shaped. The anthococlial 

 part is the larger and has eight narrow raised ribs, each containing two crowded 

 rows of white clavate spicules arranged chevronwise; the proximal or mesen- 

 terial portion is usually somewhat narrower, and contains similar spicules, but 

 smaller and not so many. The two regions are not separated by a constriction 

 nor by a transverse wreath of spicules such as occurs in species of the genus 

 Gersemia. 



In transverse sections of the branch stems there are relatively few longi- 

 tudinal ducts, usually 8 to 12, some much larger than the others. They often 

 contain yellow ova and planulae (Text Fig. 12), as do the polyp bodies. The 

 membrane between them is rather thick and soft. Direct connections occur 

 between them and also indirect connections by fine channels, as in most species 

 of this family. 



The spicules of the anthocodise are mainly very thorny clubs of various 

 forms, essentially like those from the type (see Plate XV, figures 2a-2g), but there 

 are also various other foims; usually the cluts are three or four times as long as 

 broad, with the wide outer er.d covered with rrany longer ard shorter, mostly 

 blunt lobes and thorns, which are more or less flattened; seme are wide at the 



