MADEEPOEARIA OF THE DEEP SEA. 319 



Subfamily Tbochoctathace^. 

 (Pali in several crowns.) 



Genus Paractathus, Milne-Edwards & Jules Haime (1848). 



Paeacyathus agassizi, Duncan. (Plate XLIII. figs. 5-8). 



The corallum is tall, straight, and has a large incrusting base, and a narrow cylin- 

 drical stem spreading out into a subturbinate termination. 



The calice is oval in outline, and not veiy deep, but widely open. 



The columella occupies much space, and is made up of small processes. 



The pali before the smaller septa are bilobed. The pali generally are not crowded, 

 and are at different distances from the centre. 



The septa are unequal, moderately close, largely granular laterally ; and most of them 

 terminate internally in an enlargement. 



There are four complete cycles, and part of a fifth in some systems. 



The costae are distinct to the base, and are prominent in the upper third of the 

 corallum ; they are granular and subequal ; but those of the larger septa are the most 

 prominent above. 



Height of corallum -^ inch ; length of calice -^ inch. 



Dredged up in No. 19 station, in the second expedition of the ' Porcupine,' from a 

 depth of 248 fathoms. 



I have named this beautiful species after Professor Alexander Agassiz, to whom I 

 am much indebted for assistance in comparing the specimens dredged up in the first 

 ' Porcupine ' expedition with those of the American dredgings. 



Paracyatlms agassizi belongs to the group characterized by Paracyathus crassus, Ed. 

 & H., of the London clay, and has greater affinities with that form than with any 

 recent one. 



Paractathus striatus, Philippi, sp. (Plate XLIII. figs. 9-13.) 



An ill-developed corallum, springing by false calicular gemmation from a parent, was 

 dredged off the Mediterranean coast of Africa. It probably belongs to this species, 

 although the costse are rather more developed than they are described to be by 

 MM. Milne-Edwards and Jules Haime. 



A worn specimen, much covered with serpulse, was dredged up in 60 to 160 fathoms, 

 seven miles off Rinaldo's Chair. 



A tolerably perfect specimen was dredged off the Adventure bank, of which the 

 following are the specific characters : — 



The corallum is turbinate and straight. 



The wall is granular. 



The costse are alternately slightly unequal. 

 VOL. VIII. — PART V. March, 1873. 2 z 



