49 



curved, thickly covered with rough or branched warts, and measuring tVom 

 0'30 to "ia nun. in length, and from 0-09 to 0*21 mm. in breadth. They are 

 arranged on the main stem and branches transversely, on the smaller bi-anches 

 longitudinally. 



(fi) The spicules of the stalk are spindles, rods, irregular clubs, three- and 

 four- rayed, T- and L-sha])ed forms, globular forms with short processes and 

 irregular oval to four- sided forms. All these are thickly covered with pronunent 

 rough or branched warts. In addition there are a few stringy almost smooth 

 spindles and four-rayed forms. Spindles average 0'7'2 mm. x 0'24 mm. ; rods, 

 078 mm. x 024 mm. ; three-rayed, 066 mm. x 0*42 mm. ; four-rayed, 0'48 mm. 

 X 0"42 mm. 



Canal-wall spicules : {a) Those of the stem are large sjjindles either 

 straight or curved which are thickly covered with rough warts i-egularly arranged, 

 and measure from 036 to 27 mm. in length and from 0-12 to 0'30 mm. in 

 breadth. There are also three-rayed forms, 0'84 mm. x 0"<j mm. 



(h) The stalk spicules are very large and include spindles, three- and four- 

 rayed forms, tripods, and twin four-rayed forms. They are all covered with 

 numerous rough or branched warts which may approach blunt spines on some 

 of the spindles. The spindles are either straight or curved, and often show 

 bifurcation at one end. The rays of the three- and four-rayed forms are often 

 very broad and flat. In addition there are numerous globular or irregular 

 rough forms, smooth spindles, and irregular flattened thi^ee- and four-rayed 

 forms. The first rough series measure as follows : Spindles, up to 1-8 mm. in 

 length ; three-rayed, up to 1-8 mm. x 1-5 mm. ; four-rayed, up to 1'2 mm. x 

 102 mm. 



Colour — The stalk is pinkish-white to white ; the stem and principal 

 branches are white ; the smaller branches yellow ; the twigs and polyp-stalks 

 yellowish to yellowish with a tinge of red on the main stem ; in the large side 

 branches and tips of smaller branches the twigs and polyp-stalks are red ; 

 polyp-spicules and polyps white ; tentacles white. 



Locality : Andamans. 



Dendronephthya mirabilis, Henderson, nee. Spongodes mirabilis, May. 



The three specimens classed together here as JJ. mirahUis are all from the 

 same locality in the Andamans. They show a considerable variation in size ; 

 the largest, which is greatly damaged, measures 9 cm. in height and 8 cm. in 

 breadth ; the second measures 7 cm. in height and 6 cm. in greatest breadth, 

 while the third, which is a small specimen, is 2'5 cm. in height and about 2 cm. 

 in maximum width. The following description is based on the two larger 



specimens : — 



7 



