Their shape, which at first sight is very much like the general type of this variety, is somewhat 
more upright on the axis and a granulated surface is to be found only on the distal side of 
the spine (fig. iSi^); the rest of the surface is smooth. The 
base of the spine is rather elongated, more than in the general 
type. — These spines are very often branched; both branches 
may be split as far as the base of the spine; in this manner 
the spine gets a very curious shape, also since more branches 
may occur (fig. i8iff). In the same figure we can see how both 
branches may be joined by a horny lamella (< 5 ), but this lamella 
may also be present on an unbranched spine (<?), standing out on 
the distal side of the spine. — In the 
higher parts of the colony short spines 
are found, which often may be double- 
topped (fig. 182 a) and which have a 
more smooth surface; even the young 
spines may be double-topped (fig. 182 c). 
The polyps (fig. 183) are more con¬ 
spicuous and prominent than in the 
former colony; they are even visible from the back of the 
colony (fig. 183 a) while the oral cone is rather high with a blunt top; the mouth is small 
and round. The sagittal tentacles are 0.6 mm. long, the lateral 
ones 0.35 mm., while the interpolypar distance is 2 mm. However 
the type of polyp is often very much like fig. 159 and others 
of the same group, so that I have joined this specimen to this 
variety, although in view of the typical shape of the spines I 
would have made a sub-variety of var. longispina if some more 
specimens had been found, but the great variability of this and 
other species was an obstacle. 
Fig. 1 S 1 . Sticlwpath.es variabilis n. n. 
Spines forked and branched to a various 
degree, on the base of a colony; 
a, b, c, d, e 52 X- 
Fig. 182. Stichopathes variabilis 
n. n. Spines near the colony-top: 
a and c forked ones; b normal 
one; a, b^ c 52 X- 
Fig. 183. Stichopathes variabilis n. n. 
Polyps: a back view; b oral view; 
a , b 14 X- 
var. longispina var. n., subvar. lissispina. 
oc 
Fig. 184. Stichopathes variabilis n. n. 
Spines: a on the base of a colony; b above 
the base; c on the thickest part; a, 52 X- 
Stat. 33. Labuan Tring (Lombok). 22 M. and less. Mud, coral 
and coralsand. 1 spec. 
This colony, irregularly curved, with an increase of diameter 
in its basal part, and 37 cm. long, has 4—5 longitudinal rows 
of spines, alternating quincunxially. The spines are of the same 
shape as in var. longispina , but they are not so much distally 
inclined, especially as far as the top is concerned, and their 
surface is entirely smooth (fig. 184). The long spines are 315 u. 
long and the short ones 135 u .; their mutual distance is (525—) 
600 ij The polyps are entirely absent. 
