ALCYONAEIA. 281 



The stem is flaccid and gives off branches almost to the base, the lower branches 

 are flattened and give off ordinary branches from their upper surfaces. 



The polyps are arranged in umbels of 10 to 13 polyps. The polyps are white, but 

 have a red appearance, owing to the spicules ; the tentacles have white or colourless 

 spicules. 



The spicules of the stem are long, slender, colourless spindles covered with spines, 

 and varying in length from 1 "55 millims. to 0'6 millim., and in width from 0"12 millim. 

 to - 08 millim. The spicules of the terminal twigs and polyps are slender spindles, 

 yellowish-red in colour and thickly beset with spines. They vary in length from 

 (VI millim. to 1'65 millims., and in breadth from 0'02 millim. to 0"09 millim. 



As this form agrees in many respects with Spongodes bicolor, we have ranked it 

 provisionally as a variety. 



Spongodes aurantiaca, n. sp. Plate I., fig. 9 ; Plate V., fig. 6. 



In this species the trunk is long, stiff, leathery in character, and granular in 

 appearance, but the individual spicules become evident at the upper end. 



The stem is divided into two main branches, from which the primary and secondary 

 branches arise. The four lowest branches are flattened from above downwards, and so 

 form a complete collar to the trunk. They are also recurved, so that they hide the 

 upper part of the trunk. Their edges are very much divided, and they carry the 

 polyps singly on the edges. From their upper surface spring ordinary branches. 

 The other branches stand at right angles to the stem, but the upper ones are directed 

 obliquely upwards. 



The polyps are borne singly at the ends of the twigs, and also in bundles of 6 to 7, 

 all reaching the same level. They are white in colour and backed by strong 

 " Stutzbtlndel " spicules. 



The colony presents a striking appearance, due to the marked contrast between the 

 orange-coloured stem and branches and the white polyps. The trunk is orange- 

 coloured at the upper end, but it gradually becomes a whitish-grey as the lower end 

 is reached. 



The " Stiitzbiindel " spicules vary in length from 27 millims. to 3 - 3 millims., while 

 the stem and branch spicules vary from (V5 millim. to 2"1 millims. in length. 



Spongodes rosea, Kukenthal Plate V., fig. 1. 



What we regard as a variety of this species is represented by a stiff colony, with a 

 bare stalk very much shrunken, owing to the large canals and the thin partitions 

 between them. Height of colony, 70 millims. ; length of stalk, 22 millims. ; diameter 

 of same, 1 1 millims. 



The lower branches, 6 in number, are flattened from above downwards, breaking up 

 at their edges into single polyps and groups of polyps, and giving off cylindrical 

 branches from their upper surfaces. Immediately above these the stem gives off a 



2 o 



