398 THE GORGONIANS OF THE BRAZILIAN COAST. 



mm. long, and 1 to 1.5 mm. in diameter; the larger branches are 2 mm. to 4 m 

 thick. The branchlets and branches are strongly divergent, arising usually at 

 angles of 60 to 90 degrees, rather straight, or curving upward only slightly. 



The calicles are prominent, small, rounded verrucae, often nearly as high as 

 broad, mostly entirely closed at the apex, but often showing the aperture as a 

 small, narrow slit. Diameter of calicles, 0.3 to 0.5 mm. ; height, about 0.02 to 

 0.03 mm. They are placed closely together in two alternate rows on each edge 

 of the branchlets, leaving only a narrow naked zone, which becomes wider on the 

 branches and usually has a median groove. The bases of the calicles are usually 

 in contact or nearly so. 



The ccenenchyma is thin, hard, and smooth, scarlet-red. The axis is very 

 slender, light yellow, translucent and brittle in the branchlets ; darker yellow and 

 hard, and slightly calcareous in the larger branches. It effervesces feebly in 



acids. 



The prepared spicules are bright light-red, rather varied in form. The most 

 abundant are rather stout, subacute double-spindles with about three close 

 whorls of rough graded warts on each end, and a small terminal one; others are 

 equally long but more slender and acute, with the three whorls of warts more 

 separated. The short spicules are very small, red, spheroidal and ellipsoidal 

 warted heads, with some short double-heads and minute double-rosettes. The 

 tentacle-spicules are bright red, slender, irregular, often feebly microspinulose, 

 acute spindles. 



The larger double-spindles measure 0.09 X 0.04; 0.08 X 0.04; more slender 

 ones, 0.07 X 0.03; 0.05 X 0.01; stouter ones, 0.06 X 0.03; 0.04 X 0.02; double- 

 rosettes, 0.05 X 0.03; double-heads, 0.05 X 0.04; tentacle-spindles, 0.10 X 0.03; 

 0.04 X 0.01. 



The spicules somewhat resemble those of L. rosea (from the type of Lamarck), 

 but the latter are paler in color, more slender, more acute, and the short spicules 

 are much larger and more ellipsoidal. 



The larger specimen (No. 4555) is 150 mm. high and 165 mm. broad; diameter 

 of stem and larger branches, 4 mm. ; of branchlets, 1.25 to 2 mm. ; length of termi- 

 nal branchlets, mostly 10 to 15 mm. The smaller specimen is 75 mm. high by 

 65 mm. broad.. 



Parannao, Brazil, collected by Derby and Wilmot, Mr. Richard Rathbun. 

 Hartt Expedition to Brazil. Types, Nos. 4555 and 4556, Yale Museum. 



Leptogorgia rubropurpurea Verrill, sp. nov. 



Plate XXIX, figures 5, 5a (branch and spicules of No. 4523, in natural colors) . 

 Plate XXX, figure 1 (branch of No. 4823) . Plate XXXV, figures 10, 10a (calicles 

 of 4823). Plate XXXIII, figure 8 (spicules of No. 4823). m 



The best specimen studied is deep purple, erect, shrub-like, about 1 ^ 

 high, with rather few subdichotomous branches, which arise at acute >ang les ^a 

 ascend quickly, without anastomoses. The branches and branchlets do no v 



