ANTIPATHARIA. 795 



The spines are also very minute and few m number, being conical or triangular, rather 

 blunt and regularly arranged in spirals. About eight spines go to form a complete spiral. 



Locality. This form seems to be the commonest in the Maldive islands, several specimens 

 being obtained from different atolls. South Nilandu, 24/., North Male, 20/, 25/, and 30/, 

 Mulaku, 30/, Felidu, 35/, Suvadiva, 37/ 



7. Antipathes re.gidaris n. sp. PI. LXV. figs. 7, 7 a. 



A branch evidently torn off a larger colony. The main stem of the branch, 2 mm. in 

 its widest diameter, is 15 cm. long. Six subsidiary branches varying from 15 to 20 cm. long 

 are given off at irregular intervals, and these again give off long pinnules. The specimen 

 on the whole is very sparsely branched. The corallum is black, turning to light brown in 

 the smaller arms. 



The polyps are white, placed very regularly on one side of the stem, and close together. 

 All the full grown polyps are equal in size, but occasionally there are some young ones 

 situated between the others. 



The spines are stout, sharp, conical and hooked upwards. The arrangement is roughly 

 eight to ten rows in straight lines. There are no secondary spines. 



Lucidity. Fadifolu, 22/ 



8. Antipathes rubra n. sp. PL LXV. figs. 8, 8 a — d. 



A few simple straight pinnules 10 cm. long, probably torn off a colony. The corallum 

 and polyps are both a dark claret red. 



The polyps are minute, 1 mm. in diameter, arranged on one side of the stem at regular 

 intervals of 1 mm. The tentacles are comparatively long and digitiform. 



This form obtained from sever&l stations shews a good deal of variability especially in 

 the arrangement of the spines. Unfortunately only small parts of the colony were brought 

 up by the dredge on each occasion, so that the method of growth of the species remains 

 in doubt. It appears, however, that branches are given off at an angle of 25 degrees from 

 the stem. 



The spines are of one type only but vary in size from minute conical forms pointing 

 straight out from the stem to fairly stout sharp spines hooked and directed upwards. They 

 are usually arranged in spirals of some regularity, but vary largely in the number of spines 

 going to form a single spiral, and this even in the same specimen. Figures 8 a and b are 

 from different specimens, while c and d are from different parts of a third form. 



Locality. Suvadiva, 43/, 42/ and 31/, Felidu, 35/, North Male, 28/ 



9. Antipathes nilanduensis n. sp. ? PI. LXV. figs. 9, 9 a, b. 



Part of the corallum only, 5 cm. long, giving off sinuous branches from 4 to 7 cm. long, 

 some of whicli again give off secondary branches, roughly at right angles. 



Polyps of irregular size, the largest being 2 mm. across, grey in colour and with short 

 tentacles. They are placed on one side of the corallum only. 



Spines minute, conical, an-anged in eight roughly straight lines, in parts with a tendency 

 towards a spiral arrangement. 



Locality. Felidu atoll, 36/ and South Nilandu, 34/ The South Nilandu form had 

 rather larger polyps and the spines arranged in a more markedly spiral fashion. 



G. II. 102 



