60 ARVID R. MOLANDER, ALCYONACEA. 
canals nearly disappear.: Lower down in the branches and in the trunk, the indirect con- 
nection becomes more and more developed and at last altogether preponderant. The 
endodermal indirect canals appear in this variety, too, as long, narrow strings of cells. 
The specimens from Finmark (PI. T, fig. 8) differ somewhat from those last describ- 
ed. On one long worm tube are situated colonies, about 10 in number and in different 
stages of development. "The colony possesses but few branches and the trunks are small 
and, in their lower parts, often have solitary anthocodiae; the points of the trunk are 
occupied by a large collection of anthocodiae. The spicules in the branch bark differ 
somewhat from those in the specimens from Spitzbergen, being very closely thorned. 
In the spicules of the lower part of the anthocodia there are often intermixed spicules 
with obvious girdles. 
The tendency of the colonies to adopt a membranous shape is, however, of interest. 
The basal parts of the small colonies produce a connected membranous disc over the whole 
surface of the worm tube. The reduction of the trunks has often proceeded so far that 
the trunks appear as small branches, and we also find a reduction of both trunks and 
branches — the anthocodiae are situated directly on the membrane. On the thicker and 
broader part of the worm tube are found higher and more developed trunks. The vigor- 
ous development of the basal part of the trunk and the nearly total reduction of the other 
part of the trunk depends on the insignificant substratum, which cannot support well- 
developed colonies. 
Habitat: 
Norway, Finmark, LovÉNn, 5 sps. 
Spitzbergen, King Charles Land, 20 met., fine red-yellow clay (Spitzb. exp., "/, 
1898), 6 sps. 
Gersemia fruticosa (SARS), 1860. c 
Diagnosis: The anthocodiae are distributed numerously, not only on the points of 
branches, but also along the side of the extended branches. The lower part of the antho- 
codia with spicules. The spicules in the branch bark (basal spicules) numerous irregular 
rollers with girdles, 0.1-—0.2 mm. Dumb-bells scarce. (Pl. I, fig. 9.) 
1887, Sympodium hyalinum, GRIEG. 
1907, Euwnephthya fruticosa, Gersemia loricata, G. arctica, Olavularia frigida, KÖKENTHAL. 
1913, Gersemia loricata, G. abyssorom, BRocH. 
The large number of different names proves the varieties within this species in 
morphological respects. The variation in the structure of the colony and in the arma- 
ture is so great that several authorities have classified specimens of Gersemia fruticosa 
with Clavularia, Sympodium, etc. 
As regards the shape of the colony in Gersemia fruticosa, we can distinguish the 
following different forms: 
! (Pl. II, fig. 29.) 
