18 



Genus Dendronephthya, Kiikenthal { = Sj^rngodex of most autliors).' 



The classification adopted is that given by Prof. Kiikenthal in his " Versach 

 einer Revision der Alcyonarien " (1905). 



The genus SpoiKjodes was established in the year 1834 by Lesson for a species 

 described by him, Sp. celosia. Dana changed the name to .S/>(y////w/y/f (1846) with- 

 out giving any special reason, and placed in this genus Alciionium floridum, 

 Esper, in addition to Sp. rflosia, Lesson, and a variety S/k cc/dsid /3 nrhnresrenK. 

 Milne-Edwards (1857) gave an account of the differences between Spq/godes and 

 Neplitliiia, and curiously enough his descriptions are based not on Sp. celima, 

 Lesson, but on Dana's Sp. celosid y8 ai-boreseens. 



J. E. Gray (1859) fii'.st placed Spnggodia in the genus Nephthpa, but later 

 adopted Lesson's genus and divided it into two sub-genera, Spoggodes and 

 Spoggodia. 



Klunzinger (1877) placed Spongodcf! along with N('plitliii(t and Ammathea, 

 but while adopting Gray's sub-genera gives them a different diagnosis. Our 

 knowledge was extended when Wright and Studer published (1SS9) their account 

 of the "Challenger" Alcyonaria. Holm (1895) separated Xcphthiia from Spon- 

 godes, and divided the whole genus into four sub-genera. In 1896 Kiikenthal 

 separated Spongodes from Nephthya, and his classification has lieen followed 

 by Burchardt (1896), May (1899) and Piitter (1900). 



In 1905 Kiikenthal pointed out that the great diversity of diagnoses given 

 for the genera Spongodes and Spongodht, and the fact that the genus Spongodes 

 was founded for what is now Xep/it//i/a celomi, made it necessary to withdraw 

 the name Spongodes. He proposed to replace the genus Spongodes by the two 

 genera Dendronephthya and Stereonephthya, and gave precise definitions of these. 



The collection is remarkable for the large representation of the Dh-iiricatce 

 and Umhellativ divisions of Kiikenthal's classification and also for the large 

 number of forms that seem to lie on the border line between the main divisions. 



DIVISION GLOMERAT.^. 



Dendronephthya irregularis, Henderson. 



This species is founded for a large colony of about 16 cm. in length and 

 about 12 cm. in greatest breadth. 



The stalk oi' trunk is long, measuring about 5 cm., greatly shrunken, and 



1 As mentioned in the introduction, the description of the species of Spo7igodes or Dendro- 

 nephthya is the work of Dr. W. D. Henderson ; and the new species, which have been very briefly 

 reported in the Zoologischer Anzeiger, must therefore bear his name. It may be noted that Mr. 

 Henderson did this work during part of the time of his tenure of a Carnegie Fellowship, and in Prof. 

 Kiikenthal's laboratory in Breslau. I wish to take this opportunity of thanking my German 

 colleague for his generous assistance in this and other instances. 



