REPORT ON THE ANTIPA.THARIA. 133 



for the tubes of an Annelid (Marphysa antipaihum) ; also in 76 to 287 fathoms at 

 twenty stations off Montserrat, Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe, St. Vincent, the 

 Grenadines, and Barbadoes (Pourtales). 



Aphanipathes? abietina (Pourt.). 



Antipathes abietina, Pourtales, Cat. Mus. Comp. Zool., pt. viii., 1874, p. 47, pi. ix. fig. 10; 

 ' Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1878, p. 210; Ibid, 1880, pi. iii. fig. 14. 



Stem simple or emitting a few simple branches from the base, stiff erect, hirsute, 

 beset with short pinnules on all sides, not verticillate. This is the principal difference from 

 Aphanipathes filix, which is pinnate. Pinnules nodose, beset with cylindrical spines. 

 The polypsare of the short-tentacled type surrounded by larger spines than those on the 

 rest of the pinnule. Height 10 cm. Pinnules about 1 cm. long. Every specimen has 

 one ortwo worm tubes attached to the stem as in Aphanipathes filix. 



Habitat. — Off Barbadoes, 100 fathoms (Pourtales). 



Aphanipathes cancellata, n. sp. (PI. III. figs. 5-9). 



The corallum forms a flat close-set reticulum extending more in breadth than in 



O 



height. The larger of the two specimens included in the Challenger collection is 26 cm. 

 high and 55 cm. broad. A few centimetres above the base the branches extend hori- 

 zontally, so that the maximum breadth is quickly reached. A main stem is absent in 

 this species. A number of short strong branches arise from the dilated base, and passing 

 upwards and outwards soon become so reduced in diameter as to be indistinguishable 

 amongst the numerous branchlets. There are no other strong branches passing through 

 the corallum in various directions which might give a clue to the mode of branching. 

 Nearly the whole of the corallum consists of slender branchlets, which subdivide 

 irregularly and are united to neighbouring branchlets by means of short transverse or 

 oblique pinnules about 0'3 to 1 cm. in length and having a similar diameter to the 

 branchlets from which they are developed. The arrangement of the branchlets and 

 pinnules near the centre of the corallum as they appear clothed with polyps and 

 ccenenchyma is shown on PL III. fig. 6, which is twice the natural size. In the middle 

 portion of the corallum the branchlets have a general subvertical course ; laterally they 

 extend more obliquely, whilst near the base they take a subhorizontal direction. Near 

 the apex of the corallum the branchlets taper quickly and the pinnules are more slender 

 (PL III. fig. 7). Many are short and acicular, but with greater elongation they become 

 thickened and bear from one to six lateral and subalternate processes, indicating a 

 transition to the branchlet form. The base and the strong branches sp ringing from it 



