586 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxxiv. 



CYCLOMURICEA FLABELLATA, new species. 



Plate XLV, figs. 2 and 3 ; plate XLIX, fig. 1. 



Colony (fragmentary) 65 mm. high, flabellate in general form. 

 Main stem giving off irregularly spaced branches from opposite 

 sides, and then dividing into two branches about 25 mm. from the 

 base ; 'these latter branches giving off branchlets from one side only ; 

 the branchlets again dividing, in some cases giving off terminal twigs 

 from both sides. 



Polyj)s irregularly distributed on opposite sides of main stem, but 

 becoming more closely approximated on the smaller branches and 

 twigs, where the distance between adjacent polyps is about 1 mm. 

 The calyces are inclined distally and bend slightly at the ends. They 

 are short, stout, columnar, about 1 mm. high, and their diameter is 

 about equal to their height. The oesophageal region is not well 

 differentiated. 



Spicules, warty spindles, many of them rather slender, sometimes 

 forked, but usually fairly symmetrical. Those in the calyx walls are 

 transversely disposed, this disposition making it hard to differentiate 

 the collaret from the rest of the polyp, the spicules having the same 

 form and disposition. The tentacular spicules are of the same warty 

 form ; several at bases of the tentacles converging distally en chevron, 

 but longitudinally arranged on the rest of the tentacle. 



Color. — Axis dark brown ; polyps lighter brown, in alcohol. 



Type.— Cat. No. 25331, U.S.N.M., Albatross Station 4161, off Bird 

 Island, 39-183 fathoms. 



Genus MURICELLA Verrill. 



Ccenenchyma thin; calyces short, subcorneal; spicules warty 

 spindles. 



MURICELLA TENERA Ridley. 



MuHcella tenera Ridley, Zoological Collections of H. M. S. Alert, 1884, 

 p. 335. 



The specimens secured by the Albatross agree better with the de- 

 scriptions of those secured by the Challenger than with the original 

 descriptions of Ridley, especially regarding the disposition of the 

 spicules on the calyx walls. The calyces are exceedingly variable 

 in size. 



Distribution. — South coast of Molokai: Station 3854, 130-134 

 fathoms (Cat. No. 25373, U.S.N.M.). 



Type-Locality. — Port MoUe, Queensland. 



The Challenger specimens were secured off the Ki Islands, Papua. 



