77 
Under the name of Leiopatlies glaberrima Esp. BROOK has described a species, which is the same 
as Antipathes glaberrima , described by VON KOCH among the neapolitan Antipatharia. Both descriptions were 
published almost at the same time. —- In my critical review of the genera I have spoken of the desir¬ 
ability of abolishing the genus Leiopatlies and of uniting it with Antipathes , especially with Eaantipathes. 
Leiopatlies glaberrima (Esp.) M. Edw. is figured by ESPER but not in a manner sufficient to deduce 
characteristics from it; only the stem with the stumps of the snapped-off primary branches is figured; all 
branches of higher order are entirely absent. BROOK describes the corallum as large, irregularly branched, 
with long crooked branches of more or less elliptical section. At other times the growth is more regular, 
giving a denditric form not unlike a flattened ash. Stem and branches are jet black and polished, gradually 
tapering. Ultimate branches slender, laxly pinnate, pale brown and covered with short, distant spines. A 
specimen from Dr. DOHRN is laxly and irregularly branched and the ultimate pinnules are usually at rigth 
angles with the branchlet from which they arise. One fragment, 5.5 cm. long, bears 8 branchlets, most of 
which bear one or two pinnules at right angles. The branchlets are 1- — 2 cm. apart and from 1 — -3 cm. 
long. Irregularly arranged and springing from any portion of the circumference zooids vary very much in 
size (evidently depending on their age). Interval: irregular, 1 — 2 mm. apart; projecting rarely 0.5 mm. 
beyond the surface of the coenenchyma; mouth usually sagittally elongated, oral cone dome-shaped. Ten¬ 
tacles subcylindrical, arranged in pairs. Lateral tentacles 1 mm. long, sagittal ones 1.5 mm. and inserted at 
a lower level. The sagittal tentacles project horizontally, the lateral ones are inclined towards the mouth 
or vertical (in the younger polyps). Sometimes young and adult polyps alternate regularly. The habitus 
of the colony is very much like that of various specimens of Euantipathes dichotoma , while the form of 
their polyps has many points in common: often sagittally elongated mouth on a dome-shaped oral cone, 
dimensions, etc. The spines, so far as they occur, are completely similar in shape to most of the spines of 
Euantipathes dichotoma ; smoothness of the older parts of the colony I have also found on some specimens 
of the latter species. The right angle between branch and stem or branch of lower order repeatedly occurs 
in Enant. dich., in some specimens even without a single exception (VI, station 79“). 
The description of Antipathes glaberrima given by VON Kocil differs only in minor points from 
the description by Brook, e. g. in interpolypar distance (1.75 mm.), mutual distance of the spines (500 —- 
800 '2, while this is 600 y by BROOK). Both give four longitudinal rows, and spines 40 y long, which is 
also suited to Enant. dich. VON KOCH says that the branches are bent in parts of a circle, and this is 
also to be remarked in some Siboga-specimens of Enant. dich. 
If we compare this data with the Leimathes-species more recently described by ROULE and JOHNSON 
and with Leiopatlies lenta Pourt. described by BROOK, there are no very great differences to be found 
between these species and Leiopatlies glaberrima. —- Leiop. lenta is only known in some fragments, 
viz. some branches 10—12 cm. long and everywhere subequal in diameter. The mode of branching is 
unknown. The branches are long and slender like horsehair and irregularly pinnate. The type of the 
polyps is the same as in Leiop. glaberr., as BROOK himself remarks, but the polyps are much smaller and 
more distant; the tentacles show a greater tendency to be arranged in two parallel rows, but besides , 
that the tentacles of Leiop. glaberr. are arranged in three pairs, it should be kept in mind that the thin 
branches of Leiop. lenta quite naturally compel the tentacles to arrange themselves in parallel rows, while 
on the larger (in these specimen not present!) branches a more radiate arrangement is very plausible. — 
The type of spines is the same as in Leiop. glaberr ., with 3-—4 longitudinal rows. The dimensions are 
not given, but from POURTALES’ figure I would deduce a length of the spines of 75 y and a mutual 
distance of 400 y. The polyps have a large round oral disc, and small and large polyps alternate regularly 
on the axis. All this differs very slightly from Leiop. glaberr. and BROOK himself speaks of a general 
resemblance (e. g. in the polyps) or a relationship to Leiop. glaberr. indicated by the irregularity of bran¬ 
ching and the delicacy of the pinnules. BROOK derived the polypar data from POURTALES, whose des¬ 
cription of the polyps is open to various interpretations of their shape. 
Leiopatlies Grimaldii Roule “se rapproche beaucoup de Leiop. glaberr. Esp.”. The principal differences 
are the following: Leiop. glaberr. is laxly branched, in all directions, branches far apart, long and rather 
flexible; polyps crowded, rather large. Leiop. Grim, is densely branched, in a plane, fan-like, branches 
close together, short and rather stiff; polyps not so crowded and twice as small as in Leiop. glaberr. 
The lax or dense mode of branching is of no very great importance, since it is dependent on the 
mutual distance between the branches and since this value is rather variable. The branches of Leiop. Grim. 
follow “a intervalles peu inegaux, de 1 a 1.5 cm. en moyenne”; in Leiop. glaberr. this distance is not so 
