South African Alcyonacea. 
165 
Three large, white, mushroom-like specimens are relegated to this species, 
which at first sight seem far removed from it as regards their size, texture 
and general appearance. They afford very interesting examples of the extent 
to which an Alcyonarian species may vary. The arrangement and form of 
the spicules from the various parts of the colony are, however, similar. 
The dimensions of these specimens are as follows : Specimen a — Length, 
71 mm. ; length of stalk, 56 mm. ; diameter of stalk, 21 mm. ; head, 15 mm. 
in length by 32 mm. in diameter (without polyps). Specimen b — Length, 
65 mm. ; length of stalk, 49 mm. ; diameter of stalk, 18 mm. ; head, 16 mm. 
in length by 33 mm. in diameter ; polyp, 9 mm. in length by 4 mm. in 
diameter at the apex. Specimen c — Length, 52 mm. ; length of stalk, 
46 mm. ; diameter of stalk, 20 mm. ; head, 6 mm. in length by 14 mm, in 
diameter. 
At the base of this specimen there is an adult example of the Brachiopod 
Terehratulina sejjtentrionalis, Couthouy, which Mr. J. W, Jackson, of the 
Manchester Museum, has kindly identified. It is probably a geographical 
variant of Terehratulina cap2itserpe7itis, Linne, The former species of 
Brachiopod was also dredged during the voyage of the "Challenger" off the 
Cape of Good Hope at a depth of 150 fathoms. 
Locality, etc. — " Pieter Faure," No, 18171. Cape Point, N. by E. 9^ 
miles. Depth, 80-87 fathoms. Collected by trawl, Nature of bottom, 
green mud and sand. Date, October 28, 1903. 
Metalcyonium variabile var. durum, sp. n. 
Syn., Metalcyonium 2)Citagoni cum, May (St. Thomson). 
(Plate y, figs. 3, 4.) 
The forms resembling Metalcyonium variabile var, moUe to a large 
extent, but differing in the nature of the outer surface of the stalk and m 
other ways, I have now decided after much hesitation and consideration to 
call Metalcyo7iium variabile var. durum. I have a large number of these 
forms, and while if one takes extreme types of these two varieties there 
seems absolutely no difiiculty in separating them even with the naked eye, 
one also has intermediate cases in which it is not easy to say in which 
variety the forms should be placed. As a rule, the outer surface of the 
stalk of such forms as I classify as Metalcyonium variabile var. molle 
contains spicules of predominantly one form, namely, double crosses, while 
that of those forms which I classify as Metalcyonium variabile var. durum 
shows greater variation in the form of the spicules. Thus one specimen 
" Pieter Faure," No, 655, shows, in addition to double crosses, longer 
spindles, rod-like spicules and small club-like forms ; another specimen 
(" Pieter Faure," 13459) shows double crosses and transitions to double 
spheres, and specimen " Pieter Faure," 13135, shows a few double crosses 
