no. 1624. DESCRIPTIONS OF HAWAIIAN ALCYONARIA—NUTTING. 579 
CALYPTROPHORA VERSLUYSI, new species. 
' Plate XLIII, fig. 8. 
Colony incomplete, about 250 mm. high, flabellate in general form, 
dividing near the base into four main branches, two of which remain 
undivided, and the others again divide each into four branches, one 
of which on each side gives off branchlets from its inner side only, 
the others being undivided or dichotomously branched. 
Calyces arranged in whorls of four, except at the extreme bases 
of main branches, where there are six in a whorl, their opercula 
turned basally. The whorls are about 6 mm. apart from base to base. 
Buccal pair of scales large, their distal ends with three to seven 
(usually four) large, jagged, irregular teeth, forming a complete 
ring. Basal scales with four (sometimes two) long slender spines, 
the four seeming to arise from the splitting of the original two. The 
Spines vary greatly in younger specimens, the distal border of the 
buccal scales being merely scalloped, and there are but two spines to 
each basal scale. 
Opercular scales eight, the abaxial and outer lateral being much 
longer and more flattened than the other four, which they overlap 
and almost conceal. 
A pair of very small, almost linear, cortex scales abut against and 
overlap the basal scales on their proximal sides. 
The cortex scales are thin, elongated, and irregular in form. 
Color.—General color white, the axis appearing gray as seen 
through the cortex scales. The bare axis is a very dark brown, with 
a coppery luster. 
This species 1s named in honor of J. Versluys, jr., the author of 
the report on the Gorgonacea of the Siboga expedition. 
Type.—Cat. No. 25382, U.S.N.M., Albatross Station 4007, between 
Honolulu and Kauai, 508-557 fathoms. 
Additional locality.—_Off Kauai: Station 3997, 429 fathoms. 
Family MURICEID Verrill. 
Axis horny. Polyps without a true operculum, with a collarette 
of transverse spicules immediately below the tentacle bases. A 
pseudo-operculum is formed by the spicules on the tentacles, when 
the latter are folded. Csophageal part of body wall without 
spicules, and retractile within the basal portion, which has spicules. 
Genus ACANTHOGORGIA Gray (emended by Verrill). 
Calyces elongated, cylindrical, expanded distally. Body spicules 
in eight longitudinal rows arranged en chevron, margins armed with 
eight bundles of sharp projecting spines. 
