ALfYONARIA FROM SINGArORE. 509 



Sclerop/i>/tuvi, tends to strengthen the lelationsliip of the genera 

 Sderophylibvi and Xdiia which has been suggeKitetl by Pratt 

 (1903). 



Order ALCYONACEA. 



Family T E L E s T i D .E. 

 Genus Telesto. 



T, uuPicoLA F. Midler. 



Carijoa riipicola F. Mliller, Arch. Naturg., Jg. 33, 18G7, p. 33, 

 tab. 9. tigs. 56 & 57. 



Telesto {Carijoa) 7'itpicola Wright &, Studer, ' (Jliallenger ' 

 Reports, Zool. vol. xxxi. 1889, p. 262. 



Telesto ritpicola May, Jena Zeitschr. Naturw. vol. xxvi. 1900, 

 p. 58. 



Telesto rupicola Hickson k, Hiles, Willey's Zoolog. Res. 1900, 

 p. 496, tab. 50. figs. 1 & 2. 



Telesto rupicola Thomson & Hendei'son, Marine Fauna of 

 Zanzibar, 1906, p. 434. 



Telesto riipicola H. Laackmann, Zoolog. Jahrb. Supp. 11, 

 Heft 1, 1908, p. 81, Taf. 2. figs. 1, 2 ; Taf. 3. fig. 3. 



Although the only species of Telesto previously recorded from. 

 Singapore is 2\ p'oZi/e^Yt v. Koch, the numerous small colonies in 

 this collection appear to bear a closer resemblance to T. riq^icola, 

 and are therefore described under that name. 



The largest of these colonies is of a grey hue. Its longest 

 axial polyp measures 85 mm. in length, it is 3 mm. in diameter 

 at the base and 1'25 mm. at the top. It bears six lateral polyps, 

 the longest of which measures 24 mm. Anthocodije arise at 

 frequent, but pretty regular intervals, both from the axial and 

 lateral polyps; their average length is 3 mm., and breadth 1"5 nim. 

 The majority of the other specimens are pale yellow and of 

 smaller size. All these forms were obtained in shallow water 

 near Singnpore. Some of the exact localities read as follows : 

 Pulo Brani, 6 fms. ; Pulo Brani, 5-10 fms. ; Blakang Mati, below 

 low tides ; Tanjong Pagar, 10 fms. 



Previously recorded from Rio de Janeiro (F. Miiller) ; Bi-azilian 

 coast (INIunich Museum) ; Blanche Bay, New Britain (Hickson 

 it Hiles) ; Zanzibar (Thomson & Henderson) ; Bahia (' Chal- 

 lenger '). 



The spicules show a veiy wide variety of forms. Not only is 

 this the case, but a difierent selection of spicules was found in 

 each of the five specimens examined. 



One specimen contained spicules very much resemljling those 

 of 2\ riisei. Indeed, the two species are probably very closely 

 related, for Laackman (op. cit. pp. 72 & 82) is at some pains to 

 distinguish between them. It should be remembered, howevei-, 

 that T. riisei has not yet been recorded from the Old World. 



A very small specimen of a pale yellow colour was examined 



