THE ALCYONARIA OF THE MALDIVES. 819 



Juncella hepatica Klz (11), from the Red Sea, has been obtained only once in a frag- 

 mentary condition and may not be distinct, 



Juncella funiculina M. and D. (2), from the W. Indies, and Juncella laevis Verrill (23), from 

 Hong Kong, are not sufficiently well known to classify in this system. 



Of these species the most widely distributed and best known are : 



Juncella juncea, from Bourbon (Gray), Mauritius (Lamouroux), Ceylon (Ridley), Ceram 

 (Rumphius), Torres Straits (Challenger), N.W. Australia (Studer), Queensland (Ridley), Singapore 

 (Studer, 21), Muscat (Man. Mus.). It appears to be confined to shallow water, 7 — 50 fathoms. 



Juncella gemviacea, from the Red Sea (Klz., etc.), Torres Straits (Challenger), N.W. Australia 

 (Studer), Burmah (fid. Ridley), Queensland (Ridley), Singapore (Studer and Klz.). It extends 

 from shallow water to 80 fathoms. . 



Juncella elongata, from Atlantic Ocean (Pallas), West Indies (E. and S.), N.E. Australia 

 (Ridley), Cape of Good Hope (Hickson). It may be regarded as very doubtful, however, 

 whether the species was in all cases correctly identified by these authors. 



Of the less \videly distributed species: 



Juncella flexilis was found between Flat Island and Mauritius, 25 fathoms (Studer), and 

 at Ternate (Germanos). 



Jimcella fragilis, Queensland and Mergui (Ridley), in shallow water. 



Juncella harhadensis, Sombrero Island, 450 fathoms (Challenger). 



Juncella racemosa, Japan, 345 fathoms (Challenger). 



Juncella calamus, N.W. Australia, 50 fathoms (Studer) and Queensland, 4 fathoms (Ridley). 



Jimcella maculata, Torres Straits and Banda (Challenger), N.W. Australia, 50 fathoms 

 (Studer). 



Juncella spiralis, Cape of Good Hope, 25 fathoms (Hickson, 8). 



The principal difficulty the systematist meets with is to distinguish between J. gemmacea 

 and J. juncea. 



These two species agree in having more or less prominent venaicae according to the method 

 employed of capture and preservation, in having a thick fleshy coenenchym, in being slightly 

 branched or unbranched, in their great size (700 — 900 mm. in the case of large specimens), 

 and in having coenenchym spicules consisting of clubs and double stars from 005 — O'l mm. in 

 length. 



In Juncella jimcea, however, the verrucae are not usually crowded, there is only a single 

 bare track in some specimens, the colour is usually dark-red, rarely white. Most of the specimens 

 are unbranched and may reach a great length without branching. 



In Jimcella gemmacea the verrucae are usually more crowded, and there is a bare track 

 on both sides of the coenenchym, which in larger specimens is usually invaded by verrucae ; 

 the colour is much more variable, orange-red, orange, coral-red, white or cream coloured. 

 Specimens when of large size are usually branched. The smaller specimens of J. gemmacea are 

 unbranched, hence the difficulty. 



As pointed out by Ridley (17) these species are so variable that it is very difficult to 

 distinguish them. Perhaps they should be merged into one variable, widely distributed species. 



