596 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vou. xxxuv. 
- This was the handsomest alcyonarian that the writer has ever seen 
as it came up in the trawl. Nothing could be more graceful than the 
arrangement and attitude of the slender, symmetrical branches. 
The species differs from /ridogorgia pourtalesii in having more 
closely approximated branches, shape, and spiculation of polyps, as 
well as in size. 
Subfamily RIISHIN A“. 
Colonies branched; twigs borne on only one side of branches; cor- 
tex and polyp walls thick; tentacles capable of retraction within the 
body cavity. 
Genus PLEUROGORGIA Versluys. 
Colony palmate; branchlets in a straight row on one side of 
branch, and all in the same plane; polyps arranged in a thickly set 
row on one side of branchlets. 
PLEUROGORGIA MILITARIS, new species. 
Plate XLVI, fig. 8; plate LI, fig. 2. 
Colony incomplete, consisting of a straight smooth stem about 112 
mm. long, giving off unilateral branches which are 8 mm. apart and 
all in the same plane. The branches are very shehtly curved, but not 
bent or geniculate; their surface is smooth, and on their upper sides 
are borne the equidistant polyps which are about 7 mm. apart. On 
another specimen of the same species the stem bears a row of similarly 
spaced polyps opposite the branches, each being about one-third the 
length of an internode below the branch origin on the opposite side. 
The polyps are rather slender, cylindrical, 3 mm. high to base of 
tentacles, the broadest part being beneath the tentacle bases. They 
stand erect, nearly at right angles to the branch, but are sometimes 
inclined toward the distal end. The tentacles are long, nonretractile, 
with conspicuous fringes. 
Spicules long, needle-shaped, forming eight very conspicuous lon- 
gitudinal bands in polyp walls, ending in acute points at tentacle 
bases. Tentacle spicules few or entirely wanting. The cortex ap- 
pears smooth, but contains a very thin layer of scale-like spicules 
with jagged ends, longitudinally disposed. 
Color of stem, dark brown with slight iridescence; branches and 
polyps lighter brown. 
Type.—Cat. No. 25334, U.S.N.M., Albatross Station 4093, northeast 
approach to channel between Maui and Molokai, 1171 fathoms. 
This was one of the deepest successful hauls made during the cruise. 
The name militaris was suggested by the stiff regularity of the 
attitude of the polyps. 
