Figure 4: Coral colonies were often caught during some of the earliest explorations of the deep sea. In many cases the specimens were retrieved intact and were drawn before they had a chance to decompose, but often they were dried and drawn later in the laboratory. Several of these, illustrated here, were brought to the surface by dredges employed by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer Blake. All the species were relatively small and intricate. All were subsequently described and named by A.E. Verrill.
