]50 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



Station 218; March 1, 1875; lat. 2° 33' S., long. 144° 4' E., west of Admiralty 

 Islands; depth, 1070 fathoms ; bottom, blue mud. One specimen. 



Schizopathes conferta, n. sp. (PL VI. figs. 1-3). 



Branched portion of the corallum not flattened, branches antero-lateral, very crowded, 

 in two rows enclosing a narrow acute angle. Spines numerous, irregular, conical, arranged 

 in imperfect longitudinal rows. 



This is a large strong species, having only two rows of simple branches, as in other 

 species of the genus, but in this case they do not extend in one plane. The type 

 specimen is incomplete, and consists of only a middle piece of the stem about 17 '5 cm. in 

 length. The stem is distinctly tapering, and has a diameter of 3 "5 mm. below and 2 mm. 

 above ; its surface is rough and black, but in many places the spines are completely 

 covered by a layer of a glossy black substance resembling pitch. The branches are very 

 long and rigid, and are disposed in two subalternate rows, which spring from a point a 

 little on each side of the anterior surface of the stem. The two rows of branches enclose 

 a narrow acute angle near their origin, but are curved outwards and then inwards, so that 

 the distal portions of the two series often cross. The branches are very numerous ; there 

 are sixty-four in all, which are somewhat regularly disposed, three or four to a centi- 

 metre. The unbroken branches are 25 to 30 cm. long, and taper very gradually. The 

 spines are numerous, short, and conical, with a compressed elongate base, forming 

 longitudinal ridges on the surface of the sclerenchyma, Their distribution is most 

 variable ; sometimes they have an imperfect spiral arrangement, at others they are disposed 

 in longitudinal rows, whilst in other portions again there is the greatest irregularity. 

 On the lower portions of a branch many of the spines have a bifid apex, whilst the 

 majority lose their sharp points and give a papillose roughness to the stem and branches. 

 The distal extremity of each branch is semimembranous and is clothed with soft spines, 

 which are not so numerous as on the lower and firmer portion. 



The zooids are similar to those of Schizofxzthes crassa, and the dimorphic individuals 

 are close together in all parts where they are preserved. About five are distributed to 

 each centimetre ; the oral aperture opens at the top of a prominent cylindrical projection 

 of the peristome, as in the type species. 



The base of this species is not preserved, so that I am unable to say whether it agrees 

 with other species of the genus in having a free tapering and hooked base. So far as we 

 know at present, SchizojJathes crassa and Schizo2)athes affinis are the only species of 

 Antipatharia in which the corallum is not permanently fixed to some foreign object by a 

 dilated base. 



Habitat.*— Station 145a; December 27, 1873; lat. 46° 41' S., long. 38° 10' E., off 

 Prince Edward Island ; depth, 310 fathoms; bottom, volcanic sand. 



