1906.] alcyonarians prom zanzibar. 399 



Description of Species. 



Order I. STOLONIFERA Hickson. 

 Family Cornulariid^. 

 Clavularia garcice Hickson. 



,, garcice Hickson, var. inemiis, nov. 



,, jiava May. 



,, gracilis May. 



,, reptans Hickson. 



,, strumosa Ehrenberg. 



„ margaritifercB Thomson &, Henderson, 



,, crosslandi, sp. n. 



,, repens, sp. n. 



,, ptdckra, STp. n. 



,, Zanzibar ensis, sp. n. 



,, mollis, sp. n. 



„ parvula, sp. n. 



,, pregnans, sp. n. 



Bynvpodiimi punctatuin May. 



„ coeruleimi Ehrenberg. 



,, fuscum, sp. n. 



„ splendens, sp. n. 



Clavularia. 

 Note on the Genus. 



The problem of species in this genus is very difficult. The 

 differences between species are within a narrow range, and many 

 of the distinctions utilised, e. g. number of rows of pinnules, 

 number in each row, seem to be too quantitative in character to 

 be very satisfactory. Moreovei', what seem to be well-marked 

 species are connected by intermediate forms, and even in one 

 colony there is sometimes considerable diversity. Let us give 

 some illustrations. 



(a) To Clavularia garcice, of which Prof. Hickson had one 

 specimen, we are inclined to refer several separate colonies. In 

 some of these the pinnules vary from 13 to 30 on each side, yet 

 the propoi'tions, the general appearance, and the spicules seem 

 identical. Some have one distinct row of pinnules, others have one 

 row with an occasional simulation of two rows, others have two or 

 three rows. Other specimens agree absolutely with some of these 

 except that we could find no trace of spicules, though some 

 members of the same colony showed a few scattered rods. 



(6) In specimens which agree well with C. Jiava May, we found 

 the pinnules in one row, in three rows, and in four rows ; yet 

 these forms were otherwise alike, showing, for instance, very 

 minute ovoid spicules 0*02 in length by 0-015 in breadth. In 

 another quite similar colony the spicules were rod-like — 0*02 

 in length by 0'005 in breadth — and there were also some discs. 



