4i 



Stat. 273. Anchorage off Pulu Jedan, East coast of Aru Islands. 13 meters. Sand and shells. 

 Stat. 315. Anchorage east of Sailus Besar, Paternoster Islands. Up to 36 meters. Coral and 

 Lithothamnion. 



Colony strictly flabellate and reticulate, the distal part only being present and consisting 

 of four large branches connected by numerous anastomoses. Height 16.5 cm. Spread 10 cm. 

 The main branches are laterally compressed, a cross section of a typical one being 2X3-1 cm. 

 The nodes are 6 to 14 mm. long, the longer ones being in the distal parts of the colony, and 

 the internodes are 2 to 5 mm. long, the longer ones being in the basal parts of the colony. 

 The branching is usually dichotomous, and the anastomoses are through short lateral connections. 

 The smaller branchlets also are laterally compressed, a typical one being 1.1 X i-9 mm. i' 1 

 section. The calyces are thickly distributed over three sides of the branches, leaving the back 

 of the colony bare, as a rule, although there are calyces on this side of some of the twigs. 



The calyces are ahnost entirely included in the specimen described. This is probably 

 due, however, to the state of retraction of the polyps, for in other specimens, where the polyps 

 are expanded, the calyces appear to be tubular with spicules arranged en chevron around 

 the upper parts. The upper parts of the calyces are yellow, in sharp contrast to the rich 

 crimson of the general ccenenchyma. Their walls are filled with short densely tuberculate spindles, 

 sometimes oval or disc-shaped, which appear like imbricating scales, the upper edge of one 

 overlapping the lower edge of another. The margin is surrounded by eight lobes. 



The polyps are completely retractile and are furnished with a strong collaret above 

 which are eight points formed usually by two spicules at the base of each tentacle, each pair 

 having its distal ends approximated and its proximal ends divaricated. Above these points the 

 dorsal surface of each tentacle is covered with an incrustation of densely tuberculate yellow 

 spicules which are usually longitudinally disposed. 



Spicules. Those found in the ccenenchyma are variously formed tuberculate spindles 

 and spiny clubs. The spindles are often oval or disk-shaped with the tubercles sometimes 

 arranged in definite whorls and sometimes very heavy and without definite arrangement. A few 

 curved spindles are also seen. Some of the clubs are tuberculate and others spiny. 



C o 1 o r. The colony is deep crimson with the polyps and calyx margins bright yellow. 



General distribution. Type locality. Torres Strait. 



A specimen from Station 144 agrees quite closely in coloration with Ridley's figure of 

 Psilacabaria gracillima 1 . 



5. Melitodes squamata, new species. (Plate VII, figs. 1, ia, Plate XII, fig. 1). 



Stat. 299. io°52.4S., I23°i'.iE. 34 meters. Mud, coral and Lithothamnion. 



Colony flabellate, but not reticulate, although it appears to be so. 27.5 cm. in height 

 and about 10 cm. in width. The stem and branches are approximately round in section. The 

 first large branch is 2.6 cm. above the base of the stem. The horny nodes are much swollen, 



' Zoological Collecüons H. M. S. Alert, 1884, pi. XXXVI, fig. E'. 

 SIBOGA-EXPEDIT1E XIII <5 5 . 



