44 BULLETIN OF THE 
specimens have been obtained and presented to the U.S. Fish Commission 
by the Gloucester fishermen, from the deep fishing banks off Nova Scotia. 
Greenland (Liitken, Mus. Copenhagen). 
The specific name (Liitkeni) was given to this species independently by 
Marenzeller and myself, at nearly the same time. 
A species of this genus, E. nigra (= Nephthya nigra Pourt., 1868), closely 
allied to the above, occurs in 120 to 152 fathoms, in the Straits of Florida. 
It has a similar arrangement of calicles, but the latter, when contracted in alco- 
hol, are a little larger, and not incurved, but stand out straight, showing eight 
symmetrical, convergent lobes at the summit, from which eight rather promi- 
nent spiculose ribs extend down the sides. 
Gersemia longiflora VerRItt, sp. nov. 
Plate III. Figs. 6, 6 a, 6 b. 
Coral tall, flexible, branched. The main stem has a naked basal portion, 
which expands below into a thin, membranous, hollow, cup-shaped basal disk, 
clasping mud. Stem cavernous, upright, giving off, on all sides, numerous 
unequal lateral branches; the larger branches subdivide in the same manner 
as the main stem, and some of these secondary divisions may again divide. 
The ultimate branchlets consist of three to five or more long, cylindrical or 
tubular calicles, usually collapsed in alcoholic specimens; these are in contact 
at their bases, without any intermediate cenenchyma. The calicles are directed 
upward and spread but little; in the preserved specimens the sides of the cali- 
cles show eight distinct rounded ribs, nearly obsolete near the base, but be- 
coming more prominent. toward the summit, and terminating in eight triangular 
lobes. Tentacles, in the preserved specimens, are contracted into a compact 
bunch at the summit of the calicles, but do not seem to be capable of being 
entirely concealed. The coenenchyma of the main stem and principal branches 
has a finely granulous surface, due to small, rough spicula. The surface of the 
calicles is somewhat roughened by numerous small, rough, elongated spicula, 
which are arranged in chevron. Color, in alcohol, yellowish white, grayish 
at base. 
The spicula vary greatly in size and form; the longer ones are long, slender, 
sparingly warty spindles (Fig. 6b, c, d), and stouter spindles of nearly equal 
length, but with more numerous and larger, irregular warts; with these there 
are numerous shorter, prominently warted, fusiform spicula (Fig. 6 b, e) of 
equal diameter, and other short, warty spicula that are scarcely more than 
twice as long as broad; small spicula of many other forms also occur, and 
among these there are some compound ones (Fig. 6 b, f, g). 
Height, 110 mm.; greatest breadth, 60 mm.; diameter of main stem at base, 
about 10 mm.; length of the calicles, 8 to 10 mm.; diameter, 1 to 1.5 mm. 
Station 339, in 1186 fathoms, N. Lat. 38° 16’ 45”, W. Long. 73° 10’ 30”, 
Blake Expedition, 1880, 1 specimen. 
