482 SYDNEY J. HICKSON. 



One of the specimens which, with some hesitation, I place in this species consists of 

 three stems, one of which is connected with a characteristic flattened, anastomosing stolon 

 growing on a sponge. The longest stem is 115 mm. in length, and a little over 1 mm. in 

 diameter. The stems consist of a single axial polyp, bearing numerous lateral polyps, situated 

 at an acute angle to it. As in T. trichostemma from Torres Straits, the spicules of the older 

 parts of the colony join to form a solid cylinder marked externally by eight longitudinal 

 ridges, but after boiling in caustic potash for some time the spicules can be separated 

 into groups or clusters, and I cannot find that they are supported by a definite horny 

 substance. 



The spicules are very irregular in shape, but correspond in general form with those 

 figured by Studer, they are however decidedly larger than those of the Challenger specimens, 

 for whereas Studer gives 0"2 mm. as the greatest length, there are very few of the larger 

 spicules in my preparation less than 0'24 mm. in length. 



Studer states that the Challenger specimens were covered with an encrusting sponge. 

 It is therefore remarkable that the Maldive specimen is not, considering the fact that both 

 specimens of Telesto rubr-a from the same locality are so covered. 



The Challenger specimen of this species was obtained in shallow water in Torres Straits, 

 and it may be questioned whether it is really identical with the species figured and very 

 imperfectly described by Dana from the Fiji Islands. 



In the Maldive specimens most of the polyps are fully expanded, but the remainder 

 show that the anthocodiae can be reti'acted as completely as in Telesto rubra. The tenta- 

 cles are quite devoid of spicules, and are of a reddish-brown colour. They bear about 

 12 pinnae on each side. 



The second specimen from Miladumadulu Atoll is only a fragment. It is much 

 whiter than the Mulaku specimen, and the polj-ps are all retracted. Unfortunately the 

 bottle containing this specimen was broken in transit, and it was quite dry on arrival. 



The distinctions between the species of the genus Telesto have not at present been 

 very clearly defined, and further anatomical investigation is desirable before any such 

 definition is attempted. 



I have examined specimens which have been attributed to the species Telesto rupicola 

 from Bahia and from Jamaica in the collection of the British Museum, and have been 

 much impressed with the general similarity in habit to these specimens from the Maldives. 

 In the minute skeletal characters, however, the Maldive specimens resemble more closely 

 the description given of T. trichostemma from Torres Straits by Studer, and they difter, 

 moreover, from T. rupicola in their opaque reddish-brown tentacles. 



I have also examined a specimen of Telesto from the Persian Gulf, having close affini- 

 ties with von Koch's Telesto prolifera from the Gulf of Siam, and a specimen labelled 

 T. aurantiaca from Kurrachee in the collection of the British Museum. 



I am inclined to believe that all these species ought to be merged into one, a very 

 variable and widely distributed species, which should be called T. rupicola (Mtiller). Until, 

 however, further anatomical investigation has been made I think it is desirable to keep 

 the American form distinct as T. rupicola, and to call the others T. trichostemma (Dana). 

 There are not enough specimens in Mr Gardiner's collection to determine the extent to 



