NO. 1923. DESCRIPTIONS OF PACIFIC ALCYONARIA— NUTTING. 85 



Spicules: These are mainly smalf triradiate and quadriradiate 

 forms and butterfly shapes. Irregularly branched and radiate forms, 

 with a few true spindles and a few clubs and daggers are found. 



Color: A rather lively yellowish-brown. 



jLomZiiy.— Station 4936; Sata Misaki Light, N. 21° E., 5.7 miles; 

 103 fathoms. 



Type-specimen.— Ca,t. No. 30098, U.S.N.M. 



Another specimen from the same station is characterized by much 

 more prominent spicules, those on the calyx walls forming evident 

 points. 



Genus ELASMOGORGIA ^Vright and SUxder (emended). 



Colony simple or sparingly branched, very slender and flexible; 

 calyces very low and distant verrucse; spicules medium-sized spindles, 

 not attaining the size of those in Muricella or Ads. 



ELASMOGORGIA FILIFORMIS Wright and Studer. 



Elasmogorgia filiformis Weight and Studer, Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 

 1889, p. 133. 



Colony an unbranched stem, very slender and flexible, 47 cm. long, 

 diameter 1 mm. 



Although in places the calyces tend to be lateral and alternate, they 

 are really on all sides of the stem, somewhat distant but irregularly 

 spaced, being about 3 mm. apart. 



The individual calyces are low conical verrucse, about 0.7 mm. high 

 and with a basal diameter of about 1.8 mm., although this is hard to 

 estimate because the calyx walls slope so insensibly into the general 

 surface of the coenenchyma. The calyx walls are filled with small 

 short spindles arranged transversely on lower parts and a few small 

 ones vertically placed around the margin, their ends forming an 

 inconspicuous circlet of points. The polyps are usually completely 

 retracted and almost entirely concealed by the indrawn margins. 

 Some of them, however, rest with the collaret on the margin. The 

 collaret is well marked, consisting of two or more circular rows of 

 spindles. The operculum is strong, each flap consisting of three 

 spindles forming an acute-angled triangle, reenforced by others lying 

 parallel to these, or disposed longitudinally on the distal parts of the 

 tentacles. 



The coenenchyma is filled with a compact layer of short stout 

 spindles lying lengthwise of the stem. 



Spicules : These are all rather small spindles for tliis family, their 

 surface covered with conspicuous verruc^e. 



Color: The colony is rather dark browii; axis almost black. 



ZocaZi^y.— Station 4837; Tateisha Zaki Light, S. 53° E., 8 miles; 57 

 fathoms. 



