South African Alcyonacea. 
151 
a few spicules. Another author has suggested that the apparent absence 
of spicules may be due to bad preservation. 
Alcyonium sarcophytoides, Burchardt, a species which was firstly found 
in Austro-Malayan seas, is another interesting form. This form has many 
points of agreement both with Alcyonium and Sarcojphytum. It differs, 
however, from the genus Alcyonium in having parts which are extremely 
like rudimentary siphonozooids, and would thus come near Sarcophytum. 
The question may be asked whether the form named Alcyonium sarcophytoides 
is an Alcyonium on the up-grade or a SarcopJiytum on the down-grade. I 
have explained why the first of these suppositions appears the more probable. 
A very abundant form in South African waters is that which I now 
term Metalcyonium variabile. There is no doubt that this is the same 
species as that described by Hickson as Alcyonium antarcticum, W. and S., 
but which is not really identical with the "Challenger" form. I have 
had the opportunity of seeing the " Challenger " example of Alcyonium 
antarcticum in the Natural History Museum, South Kensington. A large 
number of specimens of Metalcyonium variahile are in the collection, and 
by this means I have been able to observe its extreme variability. 
The forms which I described in 1910 as Metalcyonium natalense I now 
recognise as identical with the species described by Hickson as Acrophytum 
claviger. 
The re-occurrence of Malacacanthus rufus, St. Thomson, is interesting. 
This form is apparently non-spicular, but lives in sand, and is protected 
by adherent foreign bodies. On the first occasion I was not quite satisfied 
as to this species really being non-spicular, as accidents in preservation in 
rough seas have always to be taken into account, but these additional 
specimens show a non-spicular condition. 
My work on Sinularia tmilohata leads me to remark that while the name 
ScleropJiytum appears at first sight an extremely good one, yet this genus is 
identical with Sinularia and the latter name has priority. It also appears 
that the genera LohopJiytum, Sarcophytum and Sinularia (SclerojjJiytum) are 
not widely separated. 
In this paper, which includes all the specimens of Cape Stolonifera and 
Alcyonacea in my hands, but which excludes the Nephthyidae, the latter 
having been sent to Dr. W. D. Henderson, I record or describe the following 
25 species, of which 5 are new : 
Family CLAVULAEIIDAE. 
Clavularia cylindrica, Wright and Studer. 
Clavularia elongata, Wright and Studer var. africana, n. var. 
SclerantJielia musiva, Studer. 
Family TELESTIDAE. 
Telesto arhorea, Wright and Studer. 
