74 



Cortical spicules : (a) The stem has spindles, clubbed, pointed or blunt, 

 and usually curved, from 0-3 to 2 mm. long, and from 006 to 018 mm. broad. 

 They may either be simple or give off long spines at any part, but one of the 

 ends is usually divided into several prong-like portions which may themselves 

 be branched, and just above this there are usually one or two other processes. 

 The arrangement is irregularly transverse on the branches but becomes more 

 irregular on the twigs, giving the surface the appearance of chopped hay. 



{/)) The stalk spicules are very numerous and various in form. There are 

 clubs, rods, cylindrical forms, rough three-rayed forms, and numerous small 

 very irregular forms varying from short spindles with whorls of huge spines to 

 irregular spinose bodies. All are covered with large spines. Clubs vary from 

 0"24 to 0"48 mm. in length ; the rods and the three-rayed forms are very scarce, 

 the majority of the spicules being of irregular form. 



Canal-wall spicules : ('/) The stem spicules are for the most part small 

 flattened spindles often with attempts at branching, and showing peculiar ragged 

 ridges running more or less parallel to the length ; these are 0"06 to 0"36 mm. 

 long, and 01)18 to 0"025 mm. broad. There are also larger .spindles, which 

 may have a length of 06 mm. and a breadth of 0"09 mm., with the same ragged 

 edges, but also with a few pointed spines on the sides. 



(i^) Those of the stalk are similar to the preceding, but are more varied 

 in shape and on the whole considerably larger. They are spindles, bent clubs, 

 three-rayed forms and flattened forms which vary from spindles to branched 

 forms. With the exception of the last-mentioned, all have a few prominent 

 simple spines. All show ragged ridges, and many of the curved clubs have 

 well-developed pointed spines on the convex surface. The spindles may reach 

 a length of 078 mm. and a breadth of 0'09 mm. 



Colour — White generally, but here and there the Stutzbiindel spicules and 

 a few of the spicules of polyps and stalks are pale pink, or have a short pale 

 pink axis. 



Locality : Ye, Burma. 



Dendronephthya obtusa, Henderson. 



The colony is rounded in form, oval in shape, and measures about 4"5 cm. 

 in height and 2 '5 cm. in breadth. 



The stalk is about 2'5 cm. long, flattened, and by no means rigid. It 

 is granular in appearance, and incomplete owing to the absence of the basal 

 portion. 



The polyparium is roundish, oval in outline, the long axis standing at an 

 angle to the axis of the stalk. From the lower portion of the stem small 

 branches are given off in two regular whorls. In the upper portion the 



