476 SYDNEY J. HICKSON. 



this Briareid in a similar manner. It is unreasonable to suggest that Spongodes is not 

 also influenced in its growth by its epizoic crabs. In fact it may be that the differences 

 known to systematists as divaricate, glomerate and foliate growth are due to the crabs, and 

 not to the inherent characters of the species of Spongodes. 



The colour and mode of branching of these Alcyonarians being unsatisfactory characters 

 for purposes of specific classification, there remain the spicules and the more minute internal 

 anatomy to appeal to. While appreciating very fully the assistance that the examination 

 and measurement of spicules renders in some cases, I am convinced that in many genera the 

 spicules are liable to very great variation, and are very untrustworthy for our purpose. A 

 discussion of this point must however be postponed until my researches have been com- 

 pleted. It is upon the anatomical characters of the anthocodiae and the general canal 

 system connecting the polyps that we must ultimately base our division of the genera into 

 specific groups. This however involves the careful investigation of a large number of well- 

 preserved specimens belonging to each genus from several localities, and can only be 

 accomplished by degrees and in the course of many years. It is not possible, however, for 

 any zoologist who undertakes to write an account of such a collection of Alcyonarians 

 as the one made by Mr Gardiner in the Maldives to undertake this task for all the 

 genera he may find in it. Miss Pratt has shown in Part II. of this paper the manner in 

 which the work may be done in the case of two or three closely-related genera. On the 

 other hand it is to my mind very desirable that a general account of such collections 

 should be published as soon as possible, and to do this a provisional arrangement of the 

 specimens in specific groups should be made. 



It appears to me that the proposal recently made by Bernard (3), so far as I can 

 understand it, is open to many objections. The use of a number instead of a name is not 

 only of no advantage, but it is ver}' dull and uninspiring. The prominence that is given 

 to the locality in the case of these shallow water-marine forms is also to my mind 

 undesirable. 



This Part contains an account of all the Alcyonacea, with the exception of the genera 

 Alcyonium, Sarcophytum, Lohophytam, and Sclerophytum, and of all the Gorgonacea Scleraxonia. 



The most abundant species of Alcyonacea belong to the genera Sarcophytum, Lohopliytum, 

 and the new genus Sclerophytum. These genera have been carefully studied by Miss E. M. 

 Pratt, and are described in a separate paper. The remainder belong to the genera Telesto, 

 Xenia, Spongodes, Chironephthya, Siphonogorgia, and Heliopora. The Gorgonacea Scleraxonia 

 are represented by the genera Solenocaulon and Melitodes. The Stolonifera appear to be rare 

 in the Maldives. Not a single specimen of the genus Clavularia was obtained. Mr Gardiner 

 informs me that the genus Tubipora is very scarce throughout the Maldives ; " one of my 

 boys brought me a small piece (decaying) from the edge of the W. reef at Hulule. I saw 

 one colony at Maradu, Addu Atoll, but do not remember to have seen it growing elsewhere." 

 The absence of Clavularia from the Maldives is interesting in view of its immense abundance 

 on the coral reefs of many parts of the Malay archipelago, Torres Straits, and elsewhere in 

 the S. Pacific. It does not appear to occur on the coast of Ceylon, of the Malay peninsula, 

 or of Singapore, nor on the other hand in the Red Sea, Zanzibar, or East Coast of Africa. 



