3« 



with straight spindles, half-sided, thorny and kneed spindles, thorny clubs and irregular forms, 

 without ius clubs. Polyps project from one side of the somewhat flattened branches 



and on tluir borders, and are retractile within exserted clayci 



The type of this genus is Melitodes ochracea (Pallas). The following list of species is taken 

 \ from Kökenthal's paper above referred to: M. africana Kukth., .)/. albitincta Ridley, 

 .1/. Kukth . Melitodes densa Kukth.. M. flabellwn Thomson, M. flabellifera Kukth., 



M ■ Wright and Studer, .)/. lavis Wrigt and Studer, M. nodosa Wright and Studer, 



M. ornata Thomson and Simpson, M. pulchella Thomson and Simpson, M. rugo a Wright 

 and Studer, .1/. rubeofa Wright and Studer, .)/. stormii Studer, M. sinuata Wright and Studer, 

 .1/. sulphurea Studer, M. variabilis Hickson and the new species described in this report. 



i. Melitodes ochracea (Linnaeus). 



/sis ochracea Linnaeus. Systema Naturae, io lh edition, 1758, p. 

 [sis ocracea Pallas. Elenchus Zoophytorum, 1766, p. 230. 

 Isis ochracea Milis and Solander. Natura! History <>( Zoophytes, 1786, p. 105. 

 [sis ochracea Esper. Pflanzenthiere, I, 1791, p. v s - 

 Melitea ochracea Lamouroux. Histoire Polyps flexibles, t8i6, p. 462. 



Melitaa ochracea Lamarck. Histoire Naturelle des Animaux sans Vertèbres, II, 1 S36, p. 472. 

 Melithaa ochraea Kölliker. [cones Histiologii e, 2, 1865, p. 142. 



Melitodes ochracea Wright and Studer, Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1889, p. 292. 

 Melitodes ochracea Studer. Alcyonarien aus der Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums in 

 Liibeck, 1894, p. 109. 



Stat. 71. Makassar and surroundings. Up to 32 nieters. Mud. Sand with mud. Coral. (Numerous 



specimens). 

 Stat. 85. uV'-sS., iie/20.; I . 724 meters. Fine grey mud. 

 Stat. 234. Nalahia Bay, Nusa Laut [sland. 46 meters. Stony. 



A number of large dried specimens, very much broken up, must l)e referred to this 



species. < >ne of these must have been a magnificent spectacle when alive, as the incomplete 



imen measures over one meter in height and 5.9 cm. in diameter at base. The main stem 



and branches are strongly compressed Iaterally, but the smaller branches are ronnd. The nodes 



indicated externally by annular swellings, but they are almost obliterated internally in the 



r branches. In a branch 8 mm. in diameter, for instance, the nodes can scarcely be seen, 



being indicated in a longitudinal section by an indistinct narrow band less than 1 mm. broad, 



while the adjacent internode is 20 mm. long. The polyps are thickly distributed on three 



of the branches, leaving a broad posterior face hare. The branching is usually dichoto 



mous, but sometimes lateral. The calyces are included, and the characters of the polyps can 



not be made out in the dried specimens. The axis is penetrated 1>\ numerous canals. 



Spicules. The spicules are mostly small oval spindles with proportionally large densely 

 ded verrucae. The hard internodes are made up of an a^lutinated mass of rod-like 



spicules which adhere together so strongly that they do not boil apart in caustic potash. The 

 nchyma contains a number of warty clubs, and there are also warty spindles, probably 



from the poly] 



