NO. 1658. ALGYONARIA OF THE CALIFORNIAN COAST— NUTTING. 7^9 



spicules, longitudinally arranged, except under the tentacular bases, 

 where they are in chevrons. 



The spicules are exceedingly various in form, but of the usual 

 muriceid type. There are many unsymmetrical spindles with irreg- 

 ular jagged edges and processes. Clubs of various patterns are fairly 

 common, as are small scales with jagged edges, stars, and double stars. 

 The general arrangement of spicules is longitudinal on the stem and 

 branches. 



The color of the colony is very light gray or broAvnish gray; axis 

 hom-color lightening distally. 



Type-specimen. — Cat. No. 25430, U.S.N.M. 



Locality. — Station 4361, Point Loma light-house S. 3° E. 9.9 miles, 

 97 fathoms. 



Family PLEXAURID^. 



Axis horny, or horny and calcareous, not jointed; coenenchyma 

 thick; calyces often included, placed on all sides of stem and 

 branches; primary radial canals well defined. 



Genus PSAMMOGORGIA Verrill. 

 Verrill's original description is as follows: 



Corallum dichotomous or subpinnate, with round branches. Axis hornlike. Coe- 

 nenchyma moderately thick, the surface finely granulated with rough spicula. Cells 

 scattered, somewhat flat, more frequently raised in the form of rounded verrucae. 



Polyps with rather large, elongated, slender, warty spindles at the bases of the 

 tentacles. Spicula of the coenenchyma mostly short, thick, and very rough, warty 

 spindles, and rough, warty clubs of moderate size.« 



? PSAMMOGORGIA ARBUSCULA Verrill. 

 Psammogorgia arbuscula Verrill, Amer. Journ. Sci., XIV, May, 1869, p. 414. 



The largest colony measures 231 mm. long and is roughly flabellate 

 in outline, dividing into two main branches about 37 mm. above the 

 expanded base. These main branches again subdivide two or three 

 times. The branches are of uniform diameter throughout. 



The calyces are uniformly and tliickly scattered throughout the 

 coenenchyma, but are seldom actually contiguous, and are in the form 

 of low verrucge, about 1.5 mm. in diameter. 



The polyps are fairly well expanded in specimens preserved in 

 formalin, extending about 1.5 mm. above the calycular margin. 

 There are numerous warty spicules on the lower part of the body wall, 

 and a few are placed transversely below and over the tentacular bases. 

 They are found sparsely on the tentacles. 



« Trans. Connecticut Acad. Arts and Sci., I, Pt. 2, 1867-1871,, p. 414. j^ofessor 

 Verrill's description of the genus is here given entire. The genus is undoubtedly an 

 aberrant one, and does not correspond to the family characters as given above, but the 

 present writer is not prepared to attempt a reconstruction of the classification. 



