REPORT ON THE ANTIPATHARIA. 99 



I am indebted to Dr. Dohrn, of Naples, for a specimen of a Mediterranean form, which 

 probably belongs to this species although it lacks the well-marked dichotomous form 

 of branching figured by Marsigli. The specimen, which probably consists of the upper 

 portion of a stem, is 29 cm. long and bears eleven branches in all, the terminal 9 cm. 

 being simple. The branches vary from 3 to 1G cm. in length, and nearly all form a 

 wide angle with the stem, in some cases almost a right angle, but all the longer branches 

 after coursing out laterally or subanteriorly for some distance, are ultimately curved 

 gracefully upwards. The branches are irregularly distributed, one pair are opposite, 

 four. are situated on the right lateral margin, and only one, the longest, on the left. 

 Four others are placed on the anterior or antero-lateral margin of the stem, and pass 

 out in various planes in front of the others. All are simple, with the exception of the 

 largest, which bears two lateral branchlets on the inner margin, 1 cm. apart ; these are 

 4 cm. long, and the lower one is 2*5 cm. from the base of the branch. 



The stem in the lowest part preserved is l - 3 mm. in diameter; it and the branches 

 gradually taper, there being no sudden diminution in diameter visible in any part 

 of the specimen. The whole specimen is thickly clothed with polyps, which are well 

 preserved. 



The polyps on the stem are situated in a single longitudinal series on the anterior 

 surface of the axis ; on the lower portion of the branches, they are also placed on the 

 anterior surface, but higher up, particularly on the longer branches, the linear series 

 curves gradually outwards, so that near the apex it comes to be situated on the posterior 

 surface. 



The polyps are unusually large and generally subequal in size, but here and there a 

 smaller and younger one is to be noticed between two large ones. Compared, however, 

 with Antipathes glaberrima, Esper, and some other forms the polyps of this species are 

 most regular in size. Usually about four polyps are distributed to each centimetre, but 

 in parts they are not quite so close. The polyps of this species are larger than those of 

 any other species of Antipathinse which I have examined. A fully expanded polyp (in 

 spirit) measures 7 mm. across the sagittal tentacles from tip to tip, and others, in which 

 the tentacles are drawn together parallel with the body axis, are 4 mm. high. The 

 polyps are rounded, with a very prominent oral cone ; the tentacles are unequal in size, 

 those situated at each end of the long axis of the mouth being long and usually much 

 dilated. The other two pairs arise from the surface of the peristome ; these are shorter, 

 more slender, and frequently stand out perpendicular to the oral surface (PI. XIII. fig. 1.). 



The spines are strong and relatively distant. They have a length fully equal to half 

 the diameter of the axis of a branchlet, and stand out almost horizontally. The base is 

 broad, about two-thirds the length, and is usually much compressed. The spines are 

 arranged spirally, but, from the regularity of their position, it is difficult to say whether 

 the spiral winds from left to right or the reverse. The spines also form longitudinal 



