POLYPS AND CORALS. 187 



One specimen differs from the ordinary form in having a 

 large, very compressed trunk, with the long, subdigitate 

 branches much more flattened than usual ; color, in alcohol, 

 light gray. 



LISSOGORGIA Verrill. 

 Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. History, 1864. 



In this genus the ccenenchyma is very thin, friable and 

 highly spiculose throughout, the spicula conspicuous at 

 the surface and covering the verruciform cells, which are 

 eight-lobed in contraction. Tentacles strengthened at the 

 base by large spicula, which often radiate within the dried 

 cells. Axis horn-like, smooth, usually without visible stri- 

 ations. Type, L.flabellum (Antipathes flabellum Auth.) 



LISSOGORGIA FLEXUOSA Verrill, nov. sp. 



Corallum much branched, subfiabelliform, the branches 

 irregularly pinnate, branchlets slender, divaricate, often 

 coalescing ; axis soft and flexible, dark brown ; coenenchy- 

 ma thin, membranous, filled with large fusiform spicula, 

 visible at the surface ; polyp cells rather large, rounded, 

 verruciform, covered by numerous elongated and pointed, 

 imbricated spicula. Color, in alcohol, grayish white. 



Hong Kong. Dr. Wrn. Stimpson. 



MURICEA SINENSIS Vemll, nov. sp. 

 Plate 5, figures 5, 5a. 



Corallum irregularly dichotomous with elongated, sub- 

 clavate branchlets; polyp cells verruciform, rather large, 

 somewhat prominent, irregularly crowded, surface granu- 

 lose with crowded spicula; external portion of the ccenen- 

 chyma hard and coriaceous, rather thick, the surface thick- 

 ly covered by small oblong spicula ; tentacles strengthened 

 by numerous red spicula. Axis, in alcohol, very soft and 

 flexible near the ends, slender, dark brownish below ; color 

 of the ccenenchyma deep red. Height 8 inches, diameter 

 of branchlets .15. 



Hong Kong. Dr. Wm. Stimpson. 



