156 The Philippine Journal of Science 1915 



at depths of from 20 to 300 meters collected by Day and Light, 

 and of a few specimens from Mariveles at the mouth of Manila 

 Bay. This collection contains a large series of specimens of 

 Stolonifera and Xeniidse from these widely separated localities, 

 and gives a very good idea of the relative abundance and dis- 

 tribution of the species of these groups in the Islands. 



Although dredging has been carried on by various expeditions 

 in the waters of the Philippines, no species of deep-sea or deep- 

 littoral Stolonifera or Xeniidse has been reported from the Is- 

 lands, and all the specimens in our collection, with two exceptions, 

 are from shallow-water reefs. One of these exceptions is a small 

 species of Cornularia with minute polyps and a perisarclike 

 horny covering on the basal portion of the polyps and on the 

 stolons. It was found growing on a large colony of Siphonogor- 

 gia variabilis Hickson taken from a cable at a depth of 90 meters. 

 The other is a specimen from a cable at a depth of from 20 to 

 100 meters, and is probably an undescribed species of Cespi- 

 tularia. 



While on the collecting expeditions mentioned I had excellent 

 opportunities for observing the Philippine species of Stolonifera 

 and Xeniidse in their habitat. One cannot but be impressed by 

 the flowerlike beauty of the large distinct polyps of Anthelia and 

 Xenia. With their beautiful iridescent shades of blue and 

 green or rich velvety brown, their gracefully flexible polyps 

 waving with the currents, and their slender featherlike tentacles 

 they present a picture of unusual grace and charm. The smaller, 

 shorter, and more rigid starlike distal moieties of Tuhipora, or 

 of Clavularia violacea Quoy and Gaimard with their solid green, 

 blue, or light velvety brown colors, present a decidedly different 

 appearance, but one as distinctly pleasing; and the sudden 

 change, which takes place when the colony, disturbed by some 

 sudden jar or by a shadow, suddenly retracts the distal moieties 

 of its polyps, exposing the red expanse of the rest of the colony, 

 is very startling. Preserved specimens lack much of this beauty 

 of form and color, but they are still among the most beautiful 

 specimens of a collection. The difference in appearance in pre- 

 served pieces from the same colony is often so great that one 

 might easily believe that they were specimens of different species. 

 Studies of these forms carried on in their habitats and accom- 

 panied by colored drawings of the living colonies and by figures 

 of polyps or entire colonies killed in contraction and of others 

 killed in expansion would be of great value in putting the classi- 

 fication of the species of these genera on a more secure and scien- 

 tific basis. I have found that fully expanded specimens may be 



