NO. 1624. DESCRIPTIONS OF HA WAIIAN ALCYONARIA— NUTTING. 585 



Genus ECHINOMURICEA Verrill. 



Calyces short, cylindrical, conical or truncated ; tentacular operciila 

 horizontal ; spicules long flat needlesj with branched ends. 



ECHINOMURICEA BRUNNEA, new species. 

 Plate XLV, fig. 1; plate XLIX, fig. 4. 



Colony incomplete, flabellate in form, attaining a height of about 

 75 mm., consisting of a central stem which branches in a straggling 

 manner. 



Calyces usually borne on opposite sides of stem and branches, but 

 in places on all sides, low, dome-shaped, and about 2 mm. high by 2-|- 

 mm. broad at base. 



Polyps completely retractile, so that there is not even a distinct 

 opening at the top of the calyx. 



Spicules small, of exceedingly varied form, many being spindle 

 shaped with both ends branched and forked, some being star shaped, 

 and some resembling the paxillae of starfish in miniature. They 

 cover the surface of calyces and cortex, looking much like grains of 

 sand under the dissecting lens. There is a circlet of pointed spicules 

 around the top of the calyx at the margin of inversion, and there 

 are a few large warty spindle-shaped spicules arranged en chevron on 

 basal part of tentacles and longitudinally on distal part. 



Color. — A uniform sandy brown. 



Type.—Q^X. No. 25325, U.S.N.M., Station 4079, between Hawaii 

 and Maui, 143-178 fathoms. 



Distribution. — South coast of Molokai : Station 3838, 92-212 fath- 

 oms (Cat. No. 22596, U.S.N.M.). 



Between Molokai and Maui: Station 3859, 138-140 fathoms; Sta- 

 tion 3863, 154 fathoms (Cat. No. 25420, U.S.N.M.) ; Station 3885, 

 136-148 fathoms (Cat. No. 25327, U.S.N.M.) ; Station 4100, 130-151 

 fathoms (Cat. No. 25328, U.S.N.M.). 



Between Hawaii and Maui: Station 4079, 143-178 fathoms (Cat. 

 No. 25325, U.S.N.M.). 



This species bears much superficial resemblance to the Gorgonidse, 

 but is distinctly amuriceid, and appears to belong to this genus, as 

 is shown by the arrangement of spicules in the polyps. 



Genus GYCLOMURICEA, new genus. 



Colony flabellata; calyces short, stout, columnar, their walls with 

 spicules transverse to the axis of the calyx and forming annular rings 

 around it. Spicules warty spindles. 



Type, — Cyclomuricea flabellata. 



