123 
spines are usually distally inclined, especially as to the top which may become at last parallel 
or subparallel with the axis (fig. 120), they may also be straight (fig. 120, smaller spines). 
6 
Fig. 118. Stichopathes variabilis n. n. 
Spines: a on the top of a colony; 
b on the thickest part; c on the base; 
a, b , 52 X- 
Fig. 119. Slichopatlies variabilis n. n. 
Spine with a begin of doubling; b spines 
on the base of a colony; b 52 X- 
Fig. 120. Stichopathes variabilis n. n. 
Spines on the base of a colony; 52 X- 
Sometimes the surface of the spines is entirely smooth (figs. 121 c, 122 a, 123) while on other 
parts of the same colonies the surface may be granulated in a normal manner or in a very 
slight degree, as the same figures demonstrate. These deviations are only the more important 
ones, but the slighter differences are almost as numerous as the colonies themselves. On one 
and the same colony the shape of the spines may be very different; especially the very long 
spines of fig. 119 appear as a rule in the lower part of the colony, while in the higher parts 
Fig. 121. Stichopathes variabilis n. n. Fig. 122. Stichopathes variabilis n. n. Fig. 123. Stichopathes variabilis n. n. 
Spines: a on the base of a colony; b on the Spines: a on the middle of a colony; Spines; a on the thickest part of a colony; 
thickest part; c on the top; #, b , c 52 X- £ on the base; a, b 52 X- ^ on the top; a i & 5 2 X* 
of the same colony often the normal type of spines occur, connected by transitive forms with 
the very long spines. In all there are only nine colonies which have this type of long spines. 
On parts of a colony a number of long spines may appear between relatively short spines and in the 
same manner short ones may occur between longer spines. — Some parts of the colonies are 
almost smooth through the disappearence of the smaller spines (fig. 123^). — Abnormal types 
of spines repeatedly occur, but as they are of no importance for the specific character, I shall 
leave them for the greater part alone in this description; one of the colonies has spines which 
are curved towards the base of the colony, while also a doubling of the spines may occur, 
but not in the usual manner next to each other but behind each other in the same longitudinal 
