40 



but sometimes slender and curved. The clubs are all of the spiny type, none of the Blatt- 

 keulen being present. The spindles immensely preponderate over the clubs in number. 



Color. The colony of the specimen described is a light grayish brown and the spicules 

 are colorless. Another specimen from the same station is dull red. 



General distribution. Type locality. Providence, Indian Ocean, 6 fathoms. 



A specimen from station 305 is a flabellate, matted mass as if several fans lying in 

 parallel planes had been united by horizontal connections, very much resembling the illustration 

 given by THOMPSON and SIMPSON (Alcyonarians of the Indian Ocean, 88, 1909, p. 170) of 

 Melitodes variabilis. But one internode of the stem remains, and this is 3 mm. broad and nearly 

 4 mm. long and the accompanying internode is longitudinally furrowed, 2.3 mm. in diameter 

 and 4 mm. long. The stem forks at the node and the resultant branches bear numerous 

 branchlets, or bifurcate repeatedly; some of the branchlets being inclined forward and some 

 backward, each being compressed and flabellate thus forming a colony composed of several 

 palmate structures in parallel planes which are held together by branches passing from one to 

 the other and anastomosing. The resulting network is quite irregular. The main branches are 

 laterally compressed. In details and spiculation, however, this specimen agrees with the one 

 described above. 



3. ? Melitodes variabilis Hickson. 



Melitodes variabilis Hickson. The Alcyonaria of the Maldives, III, Vol. II, 1905, p. 809. 

 Melitodes variabilis Thomson and Simpson. Alcyonarians of the Indian Ocean, II, 1909, p. 169. 

 Melitodea variabilis Thomson and Mackinnon. Alcyonaria of the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition, 

 Part II, 1900, p. 198. 



Stat. 60. Haingsisi, Samau Island, Timor. 23 meters. Lithothamnion in 3 meters and less. Reef. 

 Stat. 274. 528'.2S., I3453'.9E. 57 meters. Sand and shells. Stones. 



The specimens secured by the Siboga Expedition are fragmentary. They show the red 



nodes and white internodes of this species. The larger specimen from Station 60 consists of 



the base of attachment and a few stumpy and divergent branches. 



In the specimen from station 274 the calyces are yellow. 



General distribution. "Throughout the Maldives" (HICKSON). Indian Ocean. 



4. Melitodes esperi Wright and Studer. 



Melitodes esperi Wright and Studer. Challenger Reports, the Alcyonaria, 1889, p. 179. 



Stat. 33. Bay of Pidjot, Lombok. 22 meters and less. Mud, coral and coral sand. 



Stat. 50. Bay of Badjo, West coast of Flores. Up to 40 meters. Mud, sand and shells. 



Stat. 60. Haingsisi, Samau Island, Timor. 23 meters. Lithothamnion. 



Stat. 80. 225'S., 1 17 43' E. 50 40 meters. Fine coral sand. 



Stat. 144. Anchorage north of Salomakiee (Damar) Island. 45 meters. Coral bottom and 



Lithothamnion. 



Stat. 164. i42'-5 S., I3047'.5 E. 32 meters. Sand, small stones and shells. 

 Stat. 257. In Duroa Strait, Kei Islands. Up to 52 meters. Coral. 



