OCR Text |
Show 4S MISS ISA L. HILES ON GORGONACEAN. [Jan. 17, This form differs form A. arbuscula, A. alternans Wright & Studer, A. acanthostoma and A. fruticosa Germanos, in the structure of the polyps, their proportionate size to the width of the branch, and the shapes of the spicules. The spicules resemble most closely those of A. acanthostoma, but the polyps of the new species are much more spiny. ACANTHOGORGIA MURICATA Verrill. (Plate I. figs. 6, 7.) Verrill (4) gives no figures, but the specimen agrees fairly with his description of the species. The branching is in one plane. Height of the specimen 75 mm.; breadth 8 mm.; diameter at the base 1 m m. Length of the calyces 2-0-2-5 m m . ; diameter at the base "6 mm.; diameter of the head 1*2 m m. The spicules round the edge of the calyx are 1-01 x "06 m m . ; the spicules of the calyx-wall are -75 x '03 m m . ; the spicules of the ccenenchyma are *3 x '03 m m . Most of the spicules are crooked, and some have the smaller end slightly branched. Depth 40-90 fathoms. Previously recorded from Barbados ; depth 76 fathoms. This is a good example of wide distribution, the same species being found at Barbados and at Funafuti, two widely separated localities. VlLLOGORGIA INTRICATA Gray. There is one example of this species attached to the axis of a dead Gorgonid. Wright and Studer (7) describe the species among the ' Challenger' Gorgouidae. Depth 40-71 fathoms. Previously recorded from a locality between the Fiji Islands and the N e w Hebrides. Depth 145 fathoms. This is a considerable difference in depth, but the specimen is undoubtedly V. intricata. VlLLOGORGIA RUBRA, n. sp. (Plate II. figs. 1, 2, 3, 4.) There are two small colonies with much of the ccenenchyma rubbed off. The basal attachment is present in both as a small, flat, calcareous expansion. One colony gives off a broken branch at an angle of 90°, 10 m m. above the base ; the main stem reaches a height of 40 mm., and 13 m m . from the apex gives off another branch at the same side, 8 m m . long. The other colony is 34 m m . high and gives off three branches fairly perpendicularly. These are all on the same side; the lowest arises 11 m m . from the base and is broken off short; the second is 9 m m . long, and arises 3 m m . above the first; the third is 4-5 m m . above the second, and is 13 m m . lone:. There are very few polyps, most of the ccenenchyma having |