138 CORALS 



provided with only six short hnger-shapcd tentacles and 

 six complete mesenteries (Fig. 63). 



Provided, therefore, that some of these soft tissues are 

 preserved, there is no difficulty whatever in distinguishing 

 an Antipathes from a Gorgonia, but unfortunately they 

 entirely disappear when the coral is dried, and all that 

 usually finds its way into the hands of the collector is the 

 bare horny axis. The axis of the stems and larger branches 

 of Antipatharia were undoubtedly one of the sources of the 

 black coral of ancient writers, which was used, as is related 

 in another chapter, for its power of " resisting fascinations " ; 

 but it must be said that, in all probability, the Greek word 

 Antipathes, which literally means an Antidote, was also 



Fig. 63. — Antipallu's larix. A small part of a branch showing three polyps 

 each with six tentacles. x 20 diams. 



apphed to other horny axes than those of the corals we 

 now call Antipatharia. 



The classification of the Antipatharia into families and 

 genera has proved to be a matter of great difiiculty, because 

 the characters afforded by the axis alone are very unreliable, 

 and the characters afforded by the soft parts are but rarely 

 sufficiently well preserved to be trustworthy.^ It is, there- 

 fore, a task which requires not only a great knowledge of 

 the literature, but also skill and experience to determine 

 with any certainty to what genus or species a given 

 specimen belongs. This is a task which as a rule must be 

 left to the specialist. 



1 For an excellent and thorough survey of the group the monograph 

 by A. J. van Pesch, The Antipatharia of the Siboga Expedition, Livr. Ixxiii., 

 1914, should be consulted. 



