THE ALCYONARIA OF PORTO RICO. 
P,v CHARLES W. HARGITT and CHARLES G. ROGERS. 
INTRODUCTORY. 
The collection, of which the following paper gives a synopsis, was made during 
the winter of 1898-99, in and about the island of Porto Rico. It comprised some 25 
separate packages, but of these several were duplicates from different stations and 
several so very fragmentary as to render an adequate description difficult, not to say 
impossible. Hence, while to most of them brief reference will be made in the appro- 
priate portion of the report, to others no notice beyond the present will appear. 1 
The material was in part preserved dry and in part in alcohol, but apparently 
by methods which failed to secure proper expansion of the polyps to facilitate their 
morphological study. In only two cases were polyps found in anything like an 
expanded or normal condition, and the dried specimens were in some cases badly 
distorted and crushed, leaving them difficult to determine. These facts, together 
with the very fragmentary condition of many specimens, have rendered the matter 
of determination unusually difficult. 
While comparatively small, both as to the number of genera and species, the col- 
lection is not without some new interest, as at least two of the genera are entirely 
new to the region and several of the species are probably new to science. It will also 
be noted that one of the genera new to these waters comes from a depth greater than 
that common to most of its species — namely, that of Spongodes, taken from a depth of 
75 fathoms. Further notice of this will be made in connection with its description. 
While the senior author is responsible so far as the final determination and 
descriptions in the report are concerned, Mr. Rogers assumes responsibility for the 
synoptic table and for certain of the sketches, especially of spicules. No attempt has 
been made to give details of synonymy in connection with the descriptions of species. 
Acknowledgments are made of the courtesy of the director of the biological 
laboratory of the IT. S. Fish Commission, Woods Hole; also to the Museum of Com- 
parative Zoology, Harvard University, to the director and curators of the U. S. 
National Museum, and to the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, for favors 
shown; and to the Peabody Museum, of Yale University, for the privilege of exam- 
ining specimens of the collection. 
1 As compared with the earlier collections made by the Blake , 1880, the Fish Hawk, 1880-82, and the Albatross, 1883, 
the present is notably lacking in some of the more remarkable groups of the Alcyonaria, especially the Pennatulacea and 
Alcyonacea. As will be noted, the present collection is practically limited to the Gorgonacea. While naturally a somewhat 
larger proportion in both genera and species would be expected among the Gorgonias, still their extreme preponderance in 
the present collection is somewhat surprising. Whether the difference may in any wise be due to seasonal influence it is 
impossible to say. It may also be noticed that the collection was comparatively small in the number of specimens taken, 
except, in a very few cases. 
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