552 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxxiv. 



the island of Kauai, and at Station 4101, in the channel between Maui 

 and Molokai islands. 



The best hauls yielded five species each, one being at Station 3859, 

 near Kauai, and the other being Station 3989, between Molokai and 

 Maui. 



The richest alcj^onarian fauna appears to be off the island of Kauai 

 and in the channel between Molokai and Maui and its northeast ap- 

 proach. There are doubtless other localities just as rich where the 

 roughness of the bottom prevented successful hauls and a satisfactory 

 exploration. It appears certain, from the quantity and variety of 

 material secured, that the Hawaiian region is one of the best locali- 

 ties in the world for alcyonarian life. The fact that no species have 

 heretofore been reported is doubtless due to the apparent lack of 

 Alcyonaria in very shallow water. There would therefore be no like- 

 lihood of these forms being collected by the natives or other shore 

 collectors. 



There were only eight hauls where a depth of over 1,000 fathoms 

 was reached, the deepest being at Station 4093, where a depth of 

 1,572 fathoms was recorded, and a single specimen of Pleurogorgia 

 militarise new species, was secured. But two successful hauls from 

 Avhich alcyonarians were obtained, each yielding a single species, 

 were made in less than 100 fathoms. 



SYSTEMATIC DISCUSSION OF HAWAIIAN ALCYONARIA. 



With the exceptions about to be noted, the writer has followed in 

 general the classification of the Alcyonaria adopted b}^ Wright and 

 Studer in their report on the Alcyonaria of the Challenger expedi- 

 tion.<^ 



In the treatment of the Pennatulacea the writer has practically 

 adopted the classification as revised by Kolliker in his report on the 

 Challenger collections of this group.^ With the families Chrysogor- 

 gidse and Primnoida? the superb monographs on these groups by 

 A-^ersluys ° have furnished the basis of the classification used. No 

 better work has been done on the Alcyonaria than is embodied in 

 these reports, and the present writer wishes here to acknowledge the 

 very great assistance he has derived from the careful and masterly 

 work of Versluys. The Chrysogorgidse appears to be an unusually 

 difficult group to handle in a satisfactory manner, and the division of 



« Report on the Alcyonaria collected by H. M. S. Challenger during the years 

 1873-1876. By Prof. E. Percival Wright and Prof. Th. Studer, 1889. 



* Report on the Pennatnlida dredged by H. M. S. Challenger during the years 

 1873-] 876, 1880. 



c Die Gorgoniden dor Siboga-Expedition. I. Die Chrysogorgiidae, von J. Ver- 

 sluys, Privat-Docent an der Universitat Amsterdam. July. 1902. II. Die Prim- 

 uoidea. (Same publication and author) 1905. 



