THE ALCYONARIA OF THE MALDIVES. 821 



Juncella Jlexilis, Studer (20). 



Locality. Hulule, Male, 25 — 30 fathoms. 



A very delicate unbranched specimen, may be provisionally referred to Studer's species. 

 It is 140 mm. long and barely 1 mm. in diameter. The verrucae are prominent but not so 

 prominent as in the type. The coenenchym is thin. The spicules are clubs with thick handles 

 (i.e. they are intermediate in form between typical clubs and double clubs) '09 mm. in length, 

 and a few tuberculate spindles. The colour is red. 



The specimen seems to be more delicate than the type which, judging from the figure, 

 must have been at least 2 mm. in diameter; but in the thinness of the coenenchym, the 

 shape and size of the spicules and the colour, it is very similar to the description of the 

 species. The type specimen was obtained off Mauritius in 2.5 fathoms. 



It is quite possible that these specimens, however, are only young stages of Juncella 

 juncea. We have no information at present as to the mode of growth of the Alcyonarians of 

 this genus, and it may be that in the early stages they grow rapidly in length in order to 

 reach a level in the water where food can be more readily obtained, and that the growth in 

 the thickness of the coenenchym takes place at a later stage. 



Juncella elongata (Val). 



Localities. Hulule, Male Atoll, 25 — 30 fathoms, close to edge of reef Specimen A. 

 S. Nilandu, 25 fathoms. W. passage of Atoll. Specimens B and C. 

 S. Nilandu, 30 fathoms. W. passage of Atoll. Specimen D. 



As there are only fragments of the specimens, which I believe should be placed in this 

 species, the identification may not be regarded as very satisfactory. All the specimens are 

 unbranched. 



Specimen A is in three pieces and reached a total length of 315 mm. The total diameter 

 is 3| mm., and the axis is 2 mm. in the middle region. Nearer the base the coenenchym is 

 relatively thin or very thin, and nearer the apex much thicker. 



The colour of the coenenchym is pale-pink and the vernicae are throughout shallow domes, 

 white in colour. 



Specimen B is a fragment 60 mm. long by 3 mm. in diameter. The surface is almost 

 smooth and pale-red in colour. 



Specimen C is about the same length but much more slender. 



Specimen D is 230 mm. long, with verrucae scattered and becoming prominent towards the 

 distal end, but with an almost smooth coenenchym near the base. Colour orange-red. 



The spicules are double clubs, warted spindles, and a few more elongated spindles with 

 fewer tubercles arranged in regular rows. The warted spindles and double clubs vary in 

 size fi'om 0'08 — 0'085 mm. in length. Some of the pointed spindles are 0"1 mm. in length. 

 There is evidently a good deal of variation in the shape of the spicules. In A and C the 

 double clubs predominate, in D the warted spindles predominate. In C there are many unsym- 

 metrical double clubs similar to those found in Juncella juncea. 



The colour, the prominence of the verrucae and the definiteness of pronounced tracks free 

 from verrucae, are also characters in which the species shows much variation. 



