1906.] ALCYONARIANS FROM ZANZIBAR. 415 



a flattened surface, and looks very like a Clavularia or a Sym- 

 poclium in the arrangements of the polyps on the upper surface. 

 The principal stalk soon divides into two branches, each of which 

 divides several times and bears the polyps. 



The polyps are about 5 mm. in length, aiid slightly under 

 1 mm. in breadth, and have bushy heads, caused by the feather- 

 like tentacles. The latter are about 3 mm. in length. 



The pinnules are arranged in one row (15-18) on each side, 

 thus leaving on both the oral and the aboral surface a free space 

 which runs the whole length of the tentacle. The pinnules are 

 long and slender, often about 1 mm. in length by O'l mm. in 

 diameter at the base and 0"05 mm. in diameter at the tip. 



Although this specimen differs from (1) in colour (when living) 

 and in mode of brn,nching, the polyps are closely alike. 



Locality. Off the Zanzibar coast, a few miles south of the town ; 

 5 fathoms. Previously recorded from Zanzibar and Kokotoni. 



(3) A third specimen was described in the living state as having 

 " a pink body with blue-green zooids " ; when preserved it had a 

 clear white colour. The base is formed by the end of the stalk 

 growing round a piece of coral. 



The stalk is firm in texture, dividing at a little distance above 

 the base into three main branches, each of which divides and re- 

 divides into the polyp-bearing portions. 



The polyps measure 3'5-4"5 mm. in length with an average 

 diameter of nearly O'l mm. The tentacles often appear blunt and 

 short, but this is merely the contracted condition, as other parts 

 of the colony show. Sixteen contracted pinnules were counted on 

 each side. 



Locality. Kiungani, near Zanzibar town ; lowest tide. 

 It ma)'' be of use to emphasize the point that these three speci- 

 mens presented Avhen living somewhat different coloration : — ■ 



(1) "A brilliant sea-green colour, except the upper faces of 

 the small zooids, which are brown " ; (2) " pink stems 

 with slender brown zooids " ; (3) " pink body with 

 blue-green zooids." May's specimens were " flesh- 

 coloured with a tinge of bright blue." 

 This may be enough to show that the natural colours of Cespi- 

 tularia are of little specific moment. 



(4) In a fourth specimen the lower end of the stalk spreads ovei' 

 a piece of calcareous conglomerate. The stalk is firm and marked 

 by longitudinal ridges and grooves ; it divides into branches, 

 which at some parts bear the polyps themselves, and at others 

 divide into small polyp-bearing branches. The polyps are, on an 

 average, 3-5 mm. in length by 1 mm. in bi'eadth. On the 

 tentacles, which are 1*5 mm. in length, the small pinnules (0*04- 

 0-045 in length) are arranged in one row on either side of 

 the middle line, thus leaving on the aboral surface a broad, and 

 on the oral a narrow free apace which stretches the whole length 

 of the tentacle. 



