REPORT ON THE ANTJPATHARIA. 125 



The type specimens are in the British Museum (Eeg. Nos. 46. 8. 3. 130., &c.). The 

 corallum is about 60 cm. high, much and irregularly branched, not in one plane, but the 

 whole mass is somewhat flattened. Both primary and secondary branches are irregularly 

 placed, and bear long rigid filiform branchlets from 3 to 10 cm. in length. These 

 are usually simple, but sometimes bear moderately long secondary branchlets on one 

 side only. The long simple branchlets give this species somewhat the appearance of 

 Aphanipathes f pedata (Gray), but they are scattered instead of being collected 

 into small fan-like groups. The spines are of two very distinct sizes. The large ones 

 form elongated cones with a relatively narrow base, and have a length equal to about 

 two-thirds the diameter of a pinnule. They are not arranged spirally, but occur in 

 longitudinal rows, seven or eight of which may be counted from one aspect. The spines 

 in some of the rows are more numerous than those in others ; they are from one to two 

 lengths apart, and have an arrangement similar to those of Antipathes mediterranea, 

 n. sp. In some cases the large spines extend horizontally, in others they form an acute 

 angle with the axis, but the spines themselves are rarely bent. The interval between 

 the large spines is filled in with irregular longitudinal rows of very short subtriangular 

 spines with a sharp apex. 



Habitat.- — Stephens Island, New Zealand (Jukes), Brit. Mus. 



Aphanipathes"? verticillata, n. sp. (PI. XII. figs. 25, 25a). 



A branched species with long subsimple branchlets having much the habit of 

 Aphanipathes fruticosa (Gray), but the spines are in verticils and each is covered with 

 strong spinous processes. 



Height of the corallum 80 cm., spread 70 cm. The base is strong, and the lower 

 branches are 4 to 5 mm. in diameter. The more slender branches bear a number of 

 elongate branchlets which usually all spring from the same side of the branch. These 

 are usually close together, about six in 3 cm., and have a diameter of 1 to 1*5 mm. at the 

 base. They vary in length from 5 to 20 cm. or more. These may be simple, or, in the 

 case of the longer ones, may bear a secondary elongate branchlet 6 to 10 cm. long. Both 

 primary and secondary branchlets may in addition bear a short tertiary branchlet some 

 distance from the apex, from 1 to 2 cm. long. The specimen is dry, but the polyps are 

 preserved on many of the branchlets. They form regular longitudinal series, and there 

 are about six polyps to each centimetre. Whether they present the generic characters 

 of Aphanipathes cannot be decided with certainty at present. 



The spines are arranged in verticils from one and a half to two lengths apart. Usually 

 seven or eight spines in each verticil may be seen from one aspect. The spines are also 

 disposed in longitudinal rows with considerable regularity. Each spine is about twice as 

 long as broad (at the base), and gradually tapers to a sharp point. It is densely covered 



