PLATE CXXVI. 



History, Mr. Ribello, by whom it was brought to England, and 

 communicated with many other very curious species of the Gorgonia 

 tribe to Mr. George Humphrey ; and which at the dispersion of his 

 collection have fallen into our possession. 



From every attention we have bestowed upon the subject this 

 particular kind appears to be of a new species. We cannot perceive 

 that it is included among the Gorgoniaeof Mr. Ellis and Dr. Solander, 

 nor does it exactly correspond with any of the Gmelinian species ; 

 perhaps its characters assimilate with those of Gorgonia succinea of 

 Pallas, or, judging from the description only, it might be mistaken 

 for the Gorgonia verrucosa of our own seas, but the difference will 

 be at once perceived when we have the opportunity of comparing 

 the two kinds together. 



Among the specimens of our present species we possess two 

 varieties, which are pretty distinctly marked as such by their 

 appearance, one having the branches rather longer than the other. 

 This elongated kind is represented in the upper part of the plate ; the 

 other, it will be observed, is more dwarf or shrubby, and has the 

 branches shorter and more numerous. The difference in colour is 

 rather less material ; the first is of a paler hue, and has probably in 

 some degree faded in colour, the other retains the lively tints of a 

 sulphureous hue, which is most probably the true colour of this 

 Gorgonia in a living state ; this we at least conclude from the name 

 Sulphurea, assigned to it by Mr. Ribello, and still remaining in his 

 hand- writing attached to the specimens. 



