I 22 
OC 
Fig. 114. Stichopathes variabilis n. n. a Arrange¬ 
ment of the spines; b spines; a 7.6X5 b 5 2 X- 
Fig. 115. Stichopathes variabilis n. n. 
a Spines; b arrangement of the spines; 
a 52 X; b 14 X- 
number than 9. As a rule the longitudinal rows alternate in a quincunx (figs. 114^, 115^). I his 
quincunx may be shifted in some parts of a colony into verticils, and may also be shifted 
and become slanting in different manners. Sometimes the 
distribution is locally entirely irregular. 
In most colonies the length of the spines is different 
on opposite sides of the'axis, but sometimes it is subequal 
on every side. So this unequal length on opposite sides of 
the axis is to be met with not only on the spiral colonies, 
where, as is also the case in other species, the spines are 
longer on the outside of the spiralcoils than on their 
inside, but also on the non-spiral colonies. The longest spines are from 75 y to 525 y and 
the shortest spines from 45 y to 200 y. The longest spines 
are found on the polyp-bearing side of the axis. 
The distance between the spines is from 375 y to 
900 y, but is, as also holds good for the spine-characte¬ 
ristics described above, rather constant on one and the same 
colony and here varies not more than over 75 y; on one 
and the same part of a colony the mutual distance is almost 
constant, as is demonstrated by the rather regular quincunx, 
which otherwise would very soon disappear. The spines on 
the basal part of the colony are not always the longest ones, so that the growth of the spines 
is at first quicker than the growth of the axis, but afterwards 
slower. — The shape of the spines varies in a very typical 
manner. We can take the type of fig. 116 a as the most common 
one: rather blunt, laterally compressed, distally inclined, convex 
proximal side, concave distal side (at the base of the spine); 
granulated apex, smooth base; the granulated surface extends on 
the proximal side farther towards the base of the spine than on 
the distal side ; the shorter spines are often more acute and 
straighter. — The numerous deviations from 
this type, often on one and the same colony, 
Fig. 116. stichopathes variabilis n. n. may consist in a distal side, which is convex 
a Spines on the base of a colony; b spine . , ... 
on a higher part; c spines on a still higher m its Upper part and concave in its lower 
part; c, c 52 X- p ar t (fig. 117), or in the entire spine being 
triangular with its distal side at right angles with the axis (fig. 114^), or 
Fig. 117. Stichopathes 
in the latter type having a blunt apex (fig. n8«). The shape may also be var i a biiis n.n. Spines; 52 x- 
an equilateral triangle (fig. 1 18 d ); the strongest and greatest deviation is 
shown by the spines of fig. 119, which are very long, without increasing their basal length to 
the same degree; the mutual distance is often greater than the average value (the greatest 
mutual distance of 900 y is observed with this type of spine !), but there are also colonies with 
these very long spines and with the average mutual distance or even less. While these long 
