REPORT ON THE ANTIPATHARIA. 93 



.shows no signs of spiral curvature. Possibly the polyps are on one side of the axis only, 

 but I could not make sure of this as the specimen is dry and almost entirely void of 

 polyps. It differs from Stichopathes desbonni (D. & M.), from the same area, in having 

 the spines arranged in close spirals and longitudinally in linear series, instead of in 

 verticils, and from Stichopathes pourtalesi, in having the axis straight instead of 

 spirally twisted, and also in the arrangement of the spines, which seems most nearly 

 allied to that of Stichopathes echinulata. 



The spines are short and conical, but somewhat compressed. In more slender 

 portions of the specimen they are arranged in dextrorse spirals which are about twice the 

 length of a spine apart. Nearer the base the spiral arrangement is lost, and the spines 

 are thicker and stand out horizontally. 



Habitat.— Off Turk's Island, West Indies (Todd), Brit. Mus. 



Stichopathes ? filiformis (Gray) (PL XII. figs. 23, 24). 



Cirrhipathes jiliformis, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat Hist., ser. 4, vol. ii. p. Hi, 1868. 



" Coral very slender, thread-like, of equal diameter from end to end, pale brown, 

 with crowded spinules on the surface ; the spinules are conical, nearly transparent and 

 spread out nearly horizontally from the axis " (Gray loc. cit.). 



Gray's type is in the British Museum and was found amongst some reptiles, &c, 

 purchased of Mr Higgens, from Australia. The specimen is in spirit, and measures 5 2 "5 

 cm. in length, and 0'6 mm. in diameter at the base. The specimen is attached to part of 

 a shell by a dilated base, and is only very slightly tapering. No polyps are preserved. 

 Another specimen, obtained by Dr. Coppinger of H.M.S. "Alert" off N.E. Australia, is 

 also without polyps. The stem is subequal throughout or only slightly tapering ; the base 

 is not preserved. This specimen measures 1"1 m. in length and has a diameter of 

 1*5 mm. Four other small specimens in the British Museum from St. Helena appear 

 to be young forms of this species. They vary from 12 to 18 cm. in length ; the largest, 

 which is attached to a bullet, is 0"6 mm. in diameter at the base. 



The spines are relatively large, conical, somewhat compressed, and slightly bent 

 upwards. In shape and size they come near to those of Antipathes dichotoma, Pallas, 

 but are much more numerous. They are arranged in irregular sinistrorse spirals, which 

 are rather steep. The spines in one longitudinal row are about one and a quarter to 

 one and a half lengths apart. In the young St. Helena specimens a spiral arrangement 

 of the spines is not noticeable, but otherwise they appear to agree with the type 

 specimen. 



Habitat— Australia (Gray); N.E. Australia (H.M.S. "Alert," 1881); St. Helena, 

 in 10 fathoms and under (Lieut. Turton), Brit, Mus. 



