MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 3 
ing occurs at its upper part. The body or middle part of the rachis is some- 
times considerably swollen, though in alcoholic specimens it is contracted and 
thin. There are a large number of small zodids, with many more or less large, 
acute, spiniform, and spiculose processes among them; these are often long and 
conspicuous. The ale are also variable inform. They are usually long and 
narrow, With a single row of spinose calicles along the edge; the edge is some- 
times deeply divided between the calicles, or even lacerate. 
The polyps (Fig. 2a), in life, when fully expanded, have long, slender, 
tapering, acute tentacles, with numerous slender pinne, the distal ones grad- 
ually becoming very short; stem of tentacles dark red, pinne pale rose or 
whitish. The tentacles come out in the interval between the groups of spines 
on the edge of the calicles. When not fully extended the tips and pinne are 
incurved, and therefore appear obtuse (Figs. 2 a, 2b). 
Off Martha’s Vineyard, we dredged, on the Fish Hawk, a rose-colored 
variety (var. rosea Dan.) at several localities. In one instance we also took 
a pure white specimen (var. alba V.), at Station 1025, in 216 fathoms. This 
is doubtless only an albino. The color is usually deep red, with the stalk 
rosy, becoming yellowish white at the base. 
Specimens dredged by the Blake in 1880 : — 
Station. Fathoms, N. Lat. W. Long. Specimens. 
305 810 41° 33/ 15” 65° 51’ 25” 32 large and small. 
306 524 AJ° 32! 50 65° 55! 2 small. 
310 260 39° 59’ 16” 70° 18’ 30” Many young. 
326 464 33° 42! 15” 76° 0! 50” 3 young. 
3236 197 38° 21’ 50” 73° 32! 5 small. 
This species is very abundant and widely distributed on our coasts, in 100 to 
487 fathoms, on soft muddy bottoms. Gulf of St. Lawrence, 160-200 fathoms, 
— Whiteaves, 1871-73; Gulf of Maine,—U. S. Fish Commission, on the 
“ Bache,” 1872-73; Grand Bank, St. Peter’s Bank, Banquereau, Western Bank, 
and other banks off Nova Scotia, in 60 to 300 fathoms, — Gloucester fisher- 
men (in 29 lots, including about 90 specimens); off Cape Sable, N. S., 88 
fathoms, — U. 8. Fish Commission; off Martha’s Vineyard and Block Island, 
and off Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, 1880, 1881, 1882, in 100-487 fathoms, 
—U.S. Fish Commission. Several hundreds of specimens were taken at each 
of the Stations 943, 945, 1025. 
Christiansund, 30-100 fathoms, — Sars and Danielssen; Eastern Atlantic, 
300 fathoms, — Carpenter and Thomson. 
Pennatula (Ptilella) borealis Sars, sp. 
Pennatula grandis EHRENBERG, Corall. rothen Meeres, 1832, p. 66 (non Pallas). 
Koxuiker, Zo6l. Voy. Challenger, I., Pt. IT., 1881, p. 4. 
Pennatula borealis, Sars, Fauna Lit. Norvegiz, I., 1856, p. 17, pl. 2, figs. 14. 
KOxxiiker, Pennatuliden, I., p. 136. 
Verritz, Amer. Jour. Sci., XVI., 1878, p. 875; XXIV., Nov. 1882, p. 364. 
