486 SYDNEY J. HICKSON. 



large, and irregularly scattered. Many of them reach to the extreme length of 7 mm., and 

 frequently exhibit one bifurcated extremity. The colour of the colony is dark golden. 



The two specimens from Hulule, Male, are rather smaller. The spicules of the walls of the 

 branched portion are not quite so large as in the N. Male specimens, not exceeding 6 mm. in 

 length, and I have noticed only a very few with a bifurcated extremity. The spicules, how- 

 ever, in this part of the colony and in the polyps are rather stouter in build than in the 

 20 fathom specimen, the largest spicules of the former specimens being about .5"5 x 0'7 mm. 

 and of the latter 7 x 0*7 mm. 



From N. Male, 24 fathoms. Three specimens of a dark-chocolate colour, having the general 

 form of S. splendens (Kiikenthal), were obtained near the shoal at the centre of the atoll. 



From N. Male, 25 fathoms. One specimen yellow in colour, having the form of 8. jlahellifera, 

 was found in the middle of the S. atoll. 



From N. Male, 27 fathoms. A fragment, from a form similar to the last-named facies. 



From Hulule, Male Atoll, 25 to 30 fathoms. Four small specimens. One uniformly pale 

 yellow. Three with yellow stalks and branches, red supporting spicules, white tentacles. The 

 form of growth is variable in the three last-named specimens. They would be regarded perhaps 

 as young specimens of Spongodes splendens. 



From S. Nilandu, 25 fathoms, W. Passage. This is a small specimen 30 mm. in height, of 

 very compact form of growth, similar in some respects to S. glomerata (May). Associated wth 

 it were a red chiton and a pelec\'pod. 



From Kolumadulu, 35 fathoms. This specimen, about 40 mm. in height, is perhaps the 

 most beautiful of the series. The stalk is white, the branches and anthocodiae also white, but 

 the main stem contains a few large scattered pale purple spicules. It has a close resemblance 

 in many respects to Holm's species Spongodes pallida, but the lowermost expanded branches 

 are most delicately fringed so as to have an appearance like fine lace. 



From Hadduinati, 40 fathoms. A small specimen of a pale brown colour related to the 

 last named. 



Two specimens fi-om Suvadiva Atoll, 25 fathoms. Across the mouth of a passage. The 

 specimens are about 80 mm. in height, with a maximum expanse across the arms of 80 mm. 

 The base is missing in both specimens. From a thick main stem several branches arise, which 

 may again divide into several branches of the second order, which bear the clusters of antho- 

 codiae. There are 15 — 20 anthocodiae in each cluster. The colour is uniformly rose-pink in 

 the main stem and branches, but somewhat dark in the terminal twigs and anthocodial clusters. 

 The colour appears to be entirely due to the spicules, which are long, delicate spindles, 

 irregularly scattered on the surface branches. These spicules vary considerably in size. They 

 are on an average 5 mm. in length, but many are 7 mm., and a few that I have measured were 

 9 mm. in length. These are, I believe, the longest spicules known in the group of the Alcyonaria. 

 In the anthocodiae one or two spicules 3 mm. in length, predominate, projecting one or two 

 millimetres beyond the tentacles. The rest of the spicules of the anthocodiae are small and 

 slightly curved. They appear to be smaller (0'75 — 0'5 in length) than in the tj'pe-specimen 

 (1"0 mm.). They are also thicker. 



The specimens agree better with the description of W. and S.'s species S. macrospina 

 than with that of any other, but in the extraordinary length of the spicules of the branches 

 and in the smaller of the secondary spicules of the anthocodiae they present differences which 

 in the opinion of some authors might be regarded as of specific value. 



