114 
Polyps: very delicate, not very conspicuous; thin tentacles; sagittal ones 
1 mm., lateral ones 0.5 mm. Interpolypar distance 3.5 — 4 mm. Mouth transver- 
sally elongated; no visible oral cone. Tentacles not covering the mouth. Proxi¬ 
mal lateral tentacles predominate. 
Without any doubt there is a great likeness between Stichopatkes flagellum R. and 
Stick, abyssicola R., especially if one sees Roule’s pi. I (14), where both species are figured. The 
polyps (Roule's pi, VIII figs. 1, 4, are also very like each other, e. g. in their dimensions. 
But the interpolypar distance is very unequal, although perhaps the greater distance in Stick, 
flagelhtm R. may be explained by the young polyps being invisible between the adult ones ; 
the entire covering of the colony is in a very contracted state. But since there are also diffe¬ 
rences in the spines, it is perhaps better to keep for the present both species apart, although 
they are certainly nearly related to each other. It is surely remarkable that the colonies of 
Stick, flagelhtm are found without exception in depths (1494 M., 1425 M., 2165 M., 1300 M., 
1500 M.) which have given Stick, abyssicola its specific name. 
9. Stichopatkes spinosa Silberfeld. This species is only kept intact since figures of polyps 
and spines are entirely lacking, which could be in part be compensated by a very detailed 
description. But on the contrary Silberfeld’s description of this species is rather scanty. His 
diagnosis: “gekrummte Stichopatkes mit starken, etwa 280 ij. hohen Dornen an einer Achse 
von iiber 1 mm. Durchmesser” is, given the abundance of new created species, of a very 
doubtful value and can scarcely be called characteristic. But the description, which follows this 
diagnosis, is also vague and defective. The following diagnosis however might be deduced from it : 
Colony: whiplike, curved; regularly tapering. 
Spines : blunt or acute triangular; distal side at right angles with the 
axis; length 278 u. ; mutual distance ±550 p.; 6 — 7 longitudinal rows. 
Polyps : long tentacles, sometimes lying around the oral cone; inter¬ 
polypar distance 1 —1.25 mm. 
Since further data are not available I dare not propose a nearer identification, although 
various characteristics make me think of Stichopatkes variabilis , especially on keeping in view 
the possibilities of the variability in the extensive Siboga-material of the latter species. 
10. Stichopatkes (?) maldivensis Cooper. From Cooper’s description, which is rather 
incomplete, can not be concluded with certainty that there is only one single series of polyps, 
since it is not sufficient for a Stichopatkes to have its polyps only on one side of the axis. In 
Eucirripathes the polyps are very often confined to one side of the axis, especially if the 
colony is wound in a spiral. — The small spines, distributed irregularly between the larger 
spines appear to me as having no great importance, since I found such rough points also on 
colonies, which lacked them on other parts. - — If we keep this species intact, it will be only 
through the defective description. — Diagnosis: 
Colony: 85 cm. long with a basal diameter of 4 mm.; regularly tapering; 
j etbla ck. 
