Fig. 66. Euantipatlies ericoides (M. Edw.) em. a Polyps', 
b spines; a 14 X; ^ 5 2 X- 
Fig. 67. Euantipathes ericoides (M. Edw.) 
em. Polyps on the top of a branch; 
14 X- 
a halt-circle. All branches are directed towards the top of the colony; the ultimate branches 
are i 1.5 cm. long, and slender. The fusions occur even with the ultimate branches. 
The spines (fig. 66 5 ) are somewhat distally inclined; their distal side is concave, and 
their proximal side convex; their surface is smooth. 
There are 4 longitudinal rows, alternating in a 
quincunx. The length of the spines is 1 20 p., and 
somewhat less on the older parts of the axis; 
their mutual distance is 270 p. The spines per¬ 
forate the coenenchyma but not the polyps. 
The polyps (figs. 66 a and 67) are placed 
in a single series, not on a special side of the 
colony. On the older parts of the colony the 
polyps are rare or entirely absent. The colour 
of the polyps is opaque, light greyish brown, and, just as the coenenchyma, they are covered 
with white spots of 25 p. in diameter, farther apart on the coenenchyma. The interpolypar distance 
is 1.25 mm., which value may diminish to 1.1 mm. The length 
of the sagittal tentacles, which are inserted at a lower level, 
is 0.35 mm.; the lateral ones are 0.3 mm. long and the proximal 
pair predominates slightly over the distal pair. — The dome¬ 
shaped oral cone has a diameter of '220 p. and is 180 p, 
high; the diameter of the round or somewhat sagittally elongated mouth is 55 p.. 
In some polyps the mesenterial filaments are visible through the body wall (fig. 67). 
The specimen of station Banda is broken in two parts, which however belong to¬ 
gether, as is shown by the spines and the mode of branching. The basal part, 8 cm. high, 
6 cm. broad and 4.5 cm. thick, has an irregular basal plate and a stem, which is unbranched 
over 0.75 cm., and somewhat curved. At this point the stem is branched in a number of 
equivalent branches, which are branched themselves in all directions, with very frequent fusions 
to dense meshes. All branches are curved upwards. There are no polyps; the spines are the 
same as in the other specimen; their length is 90 p., diminishing on the older parts; mutual 
distance: 240 p.. There are 4( — 5) longitudinal rows, forming a quincunx. 
The top-part of the colony, which is only part of the complete top, is 8 cm. high, 
4 cm. broad and 4 cm. thick. In every respect this fragment is the same as the basal part, but 
that the branches are finer and lighter brown. There are 5 longitudinal rows of spines. 
Both specimens I have identified with Arachnopathes ericoides M. Edw. as Brook has 
described it, although there are some differences: the ultimate branches are not placed in a 
spiral, but irregularly; their mutual distance is greater than Brook’s data “about six or eight 
to a centimetre”; the number of longitudinal rows of spines is somewhat less. — As to the 
spiral distribution of the branches, Brook himself refers to some Copenhague specimens where 
this spiral distribution is lacking. The other details of the description are very like those of 
these specimens, e. g. the shape and the dimensions of the spines, the mode of branching, the 
irregular increase of the diameter of the principal branches here and there, the fusions, even 
