MOPSEAD.E. 13 



35. PABISIS. 



" Coral irregularly branching, nearly on a plane. The axis con- 

 sists alternately of calcareous and suberous segments, of uniform 

 thickness, traversed by numerous narrow sulcations. The branches 

 originate from the calcareous segments. Ccenenchyma [bark] per- 

 sistent, rather thin, somewhat membranous, with a rough surface. 

 Cells cylindrical, narrow, prominent, arranged irregularly on all sides 

 of the branchlets, but often absent on the median surfaces of the larger 

 branches." Verrill. 



Parisis, Verrill, Bull Mm. Comp. Zool 1865, p. 36. Proc. Essex Inst. 

 1865. 



89. Parisis fmticosa. B.M. 



Large, flabelliform; the principal branches, arising irregularly 

 along the sides of the trunk, divide and subdivide rapidly into 

 smaller branches and branchlets, producing a densely ramulose 

 frond ; the branches ascend and diverge usually at an angle of about 

 50 ; the branchlets often spread at right angles, and do not coalesce. 

 Papillae numerous, crowded on the branchlets, conical. Colour greyish 

 yellow. Axis white ; internodes yellowish brown. 



Parisis fruticosa, Verrill, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. p. 38. 

 Hob. Sooloo Sea (Dana). 



90. Parisis laxa. 



Coral forming openly reticulate fronds ; papillae numerous, rounded 

 on all sides of the branches ; ccenenchyma minutely villous in 

 alcohol. Calcareous joints shorter and iuternodes longer, than in 

 P. fruticosa, Yerrill. 



Parisis laxa, Verrill, Proc. Essex Inst. 1865, v. pp. 152, 190. 

 Hal. Hong-Kong ( W. Stimpson). 



Coral flabelliform, loosely branched, openly reticulated, only a few 

 of the branches coalescent ; branchlets spreading nearly at right 

 angles, somewhat elongated, curved, obtuse at the ends. Papillae 

 rather large, irregularly crowded. Ccenenchyma thin, roughened by 

 the points of the minute spicules. Axis slender, consisting of white 

 calcareous joints, alternating with shorter dark-brown ones of the 

 same thickness, but softer. Colour, in alcohol, light grey. Height 

 3 inches, width 3 inches, diameter of branches i inch. Colour, in 

 life, bright light blue. 



Section II. Axis articulated, stony, solid; articulations short, contracted, 

 horny or cartilaginous, branches from the horny joints. 



Fam. 9. MOPSEAD^E. 



Coral branched, expanded in a plane ; branches dichotomous, 

 free ; branchlets dichotomous or pinnate. Bark thin, smooth, spongy. 

 Polype-cells prominent, small, cylindrical, in series or whorls on each 



