42 



stem ; large three-rayed forms with prominent warty projections, and rough 

 huge spines at right angles ; long curved spindles with prominent spines usually 

 on one side, and with a large whorl at one end ; but the majority of the spicules 

 are small irregular forms which vary from spindles with huge spines and a 

 whorl at one end to irregular multiradiate forms with similar whorls. The 

 stalk has a granular appearance below, but in the upper part it approaches the 

 stem in appearance. 



Canal-wall spicules : (a) The stem contains long, slender spindles similar 

 to those of the stem cortex. 



(/)) The stalk contains long spindles, usually curved, and having short 

 simple spines ; large, strongly curved spindles with prominent spines ; irregular 

 multiradiate forms with prominent simple or compound spines ; three-rayed 

 forms, either with short simple spines or with compound to warty protuberances ; 

 and flattened four-rayed forms with a few simple spines. The spindles measure 

 up to 24 mm. and they often show a bifurcation at one end. 



Colour — Stalk brownish-grey with a i)inkish tinge ; stem and principal 

 branches a semi-transparent light brown ; smaller branches and twigs a deep 

 reddish-brown ; the polyp bodies white ; the tentacles very light brown. 



Locality : Andamans (J. Wood-Mason). 



Dendronephthya padavensis, Henderson. 



This is a large specimen, about 7 cm. high and 6 cm. broad. 



The stalk is very thick, about To cm. long, greatly collapsed and shrivelled, 

 parchment-like in texture, granular in appearance, and gives off from its base 

 a number of stolons. 



The polyparium is very irregular in shape and of no definite outline. Its 

 greatest development has taken place in one plane. The main stem rises for 

 a short distance above the lower branches and then divides into two main 

 portions which lie in one plane ; one of these has scarcely developed while the 

 other forms the chief part of the polyparium, and gives off several large second- 

 ary branches. All round the main stem and branches smaller branches arise 

 which by repeated division give rise to the polyp-bearing twigs. Two of the 

 lower liranches on opposite sides of the stem are large, flattened, leaf-like 

 structures which almost surround the stem, leaving only two small free spaces 

 between their bases, and being reflexed form a collar to the lower portion of 

 the stem. Directly below each of the free spaces a number of small branches 

 arise, and two of these show a cylindrical lower portion, and a flattened upper 

 portion, circular or triangular in shajae and with a concave upper surface. 



The polyps are arranged in small groups of about five each, and on the 

 edge of the flattened lower branches they may occur singly. They measure 



