I(j8 CEYLON PEARL OYSTER REPORT. 



Family : NEPHTHYID7E. 



Spongodes cervicornis, Weight and Studer. 



A much weathered specimen, expanded in one plane, 10*5 centims. in height, by 

 10 centims. in breadth, and 1*8 centims. in thickness. The general colour is yellowish- 

 white, but the polyp stalks and the polyps are covered with orange-red spicules. The 

 polyps themselves are white in colour, but there appear to be minute orange-red 

 spicules on the tentacles. 



The polyp stalk is about 2 millims. in length and is covered by longitudinally 

 disposed spicules. At the base of the polyp, which stands at right angles to the 

 Stittzbundel, there is a double ring of transverse spicules, from which there arise 

 eight converging triangles, each composed of two pairs of spicules, the basal pair 

 converging at an obtuse angle. 



As the colony is markedly flattened, with an irregular outline, with leafdike lower- 

 most branches, the specimen must be referred to Kukenthal's cervicornis group, and 

 among those species in which the polyps have long stalks. 



The specimen agrees, on the whole, with Sp. cervicornis, Wright and Studer, 

 which seems to be a very variable species, including, according to Kukenthal, 

 Spongodes rhodosticta, Wright and Studer, 



Locality : Ceylon seas. 



Spongodes involuta, Kukenthal. 



A beautiful divaricate colony, without the stalk, but otherwise almost complete. 

 The general surface of the ccenenchyma is white, near the polyps the colour is 

 strengthened by golden-yellow spicules ; the spicules supporting the white polyps are 

 deep rose-pink. The dimensions of height, maximum breadth and average thickness 

 are 45, 40, and 12 millims. As the divaricate polyparium has no regular outline and 

 is markedly flattened, the specimen is referable to Kukenthal's cervicornis group. 

 As the polyps are borne on stalks 1'5 millims. to 2 millims. in length, the specimen 

 must be included near Sp. cervicornis, Wright and Studer. The eight double rows 

 of polyp spicules consist of five pairs of spindles, and thus our attention may be 

 restricted to Kukenthal's Dendronephthya involuta* 



Our specimen agrees with this species in the following features : (1) there are 

 five pairs of polyp spicules in each double row ; (2) one of the uppermost in each row 

 projects above the polyp ; (3) the polyp stalk is about 2 millims. in length. 



Locality : Ceylon seas. 



Spongodes putteri, Kukenthal. 



A divaricate form, with a regular outline, a slightly flattened polyparium, and 



* Kukenthal has referred all typical Spongodes species to his new genus Dendronephthya, but we see 

 little advantage in this. 



