óg 



f. pygmaca in the sense first taken, if his description is correct, being on the contrary a typical 

 L. torquescens Fosl. Referring to my remarks 1. c. I do not think to be wrong as to the 

 apprehension of the said form. As regards L. torquescens I stated 1. c. p. 24: "Es ist möglich, 

 dass auch L. torquescens sich blos als eine Form von L. molluccense herausstellen wird, aber 

 nach dem vorliegenden Material kan dies zur Zeit nicht mit Bestimmtheit entschieden werden. 

 Unter allen Umstanden ist es nicht identisch mit f. pygviaea". Having now seen a great number 

 of specimens of the species in question, I consider L. torquescens to be only a form of this 

 species. It is not represented in the Siboga collection, but there are specimens which form 

 transition to it. Cp. pi. XII, fig. 11. This form is characterized by very short branches which 

 are thick at the base and rather attenuating upwards. It somewhat recalls coarse forms of 

 L. byssoides in habit. As to structure it also proves to run into the species in question. 



The forms typica (pi. XII, fig. 2 — 4, 6 — 8) and f. Jlabelliformis (pi. XII, fig. 5, 9, 10) 

 are but very little differentiated, one often showing transition to the other. Cp. pi. XII, fig. 6, 

 representing an old specimen of f. typica, partly however shovving transition to f. Jlcibclliforinis. 

 The form pygmaea is distinguished by its branches rather uniform in thickness and thinner 

 than in the other forms. (PI. XII, fig. 7, 12, 13). It partly runs into f. typica, partly shows 

 transition to f. torquescens. This form on the other hand corresponds with Goniolithon frutescens 

 f. subtilis in habit. Cp. pi. X, fig. 12 — 13. It can even be confounded with the latter if it is 

 not more closely examined. The consistency is however firmer ancl the structure quite different 

 viewed apart from the reproductive organs. 



As to the structure of this species I refer to my descriptions 1. c. I will only add that 

 the cells prove to be more varying in size than formerly known, sometimes being thoroughly 

 large (fig. 26^), sometimes rather 

 smal! (fig. 26 B). This variation in 

 structure appears however in part 

 to depend on local conditions. 



The plant is apparently always 

 at first attached to other hard objects, 

 particularly corals, but afterwards it 

 sometimes detaches itself from the 

 substratum. If the object is small, it 

 becomes often at length fully encom- 

 passed by the plant. However, broken 

 or loosened branch-systems especially 

 of rather young specimens seem as 

 a rule to continue their grovvth freely, 

 conveying the impression of having 

 been freely developed at the bottom 

 (PI. XII, fig. 2). The plant is often 



rather burdened with foreign bodies which however seem to be of less importance to a normal 

 development than in several other species. It is furnished with reproductive organs in the 



Fig. 26. LilhophyUiim moluccense Fosl. 



A. Part of a median section of a brandt of the type specimen; 



B. Part of a median section of a branch exhibiting smaller cells; X 72. 



