hut sometimes slender and curved. The clubs are all of the spiny type, none of the Blatt- 

 keulen being present, rhe spindles immensely preponderate over the clubs in number. 



ony of the specimen described is a light grayish brown and the spicules 

 Vnother specimen from the same station is ilull red. 

 General distribution. Type locality. Providence, Indian Ocean, '> fathoms. 



\ specimen from station 305 is a il.ilicll.itr, matted mass as it' several lans lying in 

 parallel planes had been united by horizontal connections, very much resembling the illustration 

 rHOMPSON and Simpson (Alcyonarians of the Indian Ocean, SS, 1909, p. 170) <>f 

 .1/ iabilis. But one internode of the stem remains, and this is 3 mm. broad and nearly 



4 mm. long and tin- accompanying internode is longitudinally furrowed, 2.3 mm. in diameter 

 and 4 mm. long. The stem forks at the node and the resultant branches bear numerous 

 branchlets, <>r bifurcate repeatedfy; some of the branchlets being inclined forward and some 

 kward, each being compressed and flabellate thus forming a colony composed of several 

 palmate structures in parallel planes which are held together by branches passing from one to 

 the other and anastomosing. The resultin^ network is ciuitcj irregular. The main hranches are 

 laterally compressed. In details and spiculation, however, this specimen agrees with the (me 

 described abo> 



;,. \ Melitodes variabilis Hickson. 



Melitodes variabilis Hickson. The Alcyonaria of the Maldives, III, Vol. II, 1905, p. 809. 



Melitodes variabilis Thomson and Simpson. Alcyonarians "f the Indian Ocean, II, 1909^. 169. 



Melitodea variabilis Thomson and Mackinnon. Alcyonaria of the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition, 

 Part II, 1900, p. 198. 



Stat. 60. Haingsisi, Samau Island, Timor. 23 meters. Lithothamnion in 3 meters and less. Reef. 

 Stat. 274. 5°28'.2S., r34°53'.9E. 57 meters. Sand and shells. Stones. 



The specimens secured by the Siboga Expedition are fragmentaVy. They show the red 

 nodes and white internodes of this species. The larger specimen from Station 60 consists of 

 the base of attachment and a few stumpy and divergent branches. 



In the specimen from station 274 the calyces are yellow. 



General distribution. "Throughout the Maldives" (Hickson). Indian Ocean. 



\. Melitodes esperi Wright and Studer. 



Melitodes esperi Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1S89, p. i ; .. 



Stat. ; }. Bay of Pidjot, Lombok. 22 meters and less. Mud, coral and coral sand. 

 Stat. 50. Bay of Badjo, West coast of Mores. Up to 40 meters. Mud, sand and shells. 

 Stat. '.m. Haingsisi, Samau Island, Timor. 23 meters. Lithothamnion. 



5., 11; \\ I-'.. 50 — 40 meters. Fine coral ^uul. 

 Stat. 144. Anchorage north of Salomakieë (Damar) Island. 45 meters. Coral bottom and 



Lithothamnion. 

 Stat. 164. 1 . ■ I Sand, small -tunes and shells. 



In Duroa Strait, Kei Islands. Up to 52 mei ral. 



