534 EDITH M. FRATT. 



boulder zone W. and S.W. small clumps occur, but it is obvious that the best position of 

 growth is a little further out towards the atoll lagoon, where even at the lowest tide there 

 is 3 — 6 feet of water. Everywhere colonies are scarce within the boulder zone and are 

 never found on the sand. A brilliant green species {Sarcophytum glaucum) alone inhabits 

 the east and south sides of the faro; it ranges from the more external parts of the sand- 

 flat even to the extreme edge of the reef-flat where the waves break. 



" Exposed to the air and sun colonies will continue to live so long as portions of them 

 are bathed by the water, even for 3 — 4 hours. Torn off their support they may be kept 

 alive for an hour or so in a bag or any receptacle which will prevent evaporation. In a 

 mixed bucket of animals from any reef (enamelled bucket) the colonies will rarely live beyond 

 an hour or two, but separate colonies can be kept alive for several days. Anaesthetisation 

 with cocaine is useless, the chemical encouraging disintegration of the tissues ; alcohol some- 

 times yields good results, as also does chloral hydrate." 



VI. GENUS ALCYONIUM. 



Wright and Studer distinguish between Alcyonium and Lobularia on the ground that 

 Alcyonium is restricted to temperate seas, while Lobularia occurs only in tropical waters. 

 This distinction cannot be maintained, for in the collection is a single but excellently pre- 

 served specimen which appears to be identical with Klunzinger's Alcyonium pachyclados 

 (1879, p. 24, Taf 1, fig. 5) from the Red Sea. Hickson (1900, p. 72) records from the 

 Cape of Good Hojje the occurrence of a form similar in so many respects that he refers 

 it to this species. I have been able to compare these specimens with the one from the 

 Maldives and with another tropical form taken by Willey in New Britain. All the specimens 

 agi-ee in the character and form of the spicules and apparently in their general and minute 

 anatomy, but differ in form and colour, so that it is very probable that they are different 

 facies of the same species. The generic identity of these forms from temperate and tropical 

 waters is indisputable, so that Alcyonium can no longer be regarded as an extra-tropical 

 genus. The vague definition of Lobularia has led to much confusion among systematists, 

 some writers including it ^vith Alcyonium and not regarding it as a true genus. 



Alcyonium is well known to be a monomoi-phic genus. Whitelegge (1897, p. 220) de- 

 scribes a lobed form with well-marked dimorphism from Funafuti which he doubtfully refers 

 to Lobularia as L. ? viridis (Quoy et Gaim.). His description of this form, and his drawings 

 of the spicules indicate it to be a species of the genus Lobophytum which I have attempted 

 to revise in the present paper (p. 514). It is probable that other species of Lobularia which 

 have not been attributed to Alcyonium will eventually be included in the new genus Sclero- 

 phytum (p. 516). The vague, confusing, and useless diagnosis of Lobularia makes it imperative 

 that it should be deleted as a genus from the family of the Alcyonidae. 



16. Alcywiiuni pachyclados Klz. 



A single well-preserved specimen agreeing with Klunzinger's description (1879, p. 24, 

 Taf 1, fig. 5) was taken from the reef of Naifaro, Fadifolu Atoll. 



The colony from which the stalk is missing grows irregularly, and the bluntly digitate 

 lobes with their short, blunt, closely set branches vary considerably in length. This specimen 



