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Cortical spicules : (a) In the stem there are spindles, straight or curved, 

 with numerous simple spines, averaging about 1 mm. in length and about 0"05 

 mm. in breadth ; also a number of smaller similar spindles of O'G mm. average 

 length. 



(l/) 111 the stalk there are numerous three- and four-rayed and irregular 

 forms, spindles with a marked development of strong spines along one side, 

 others with very marked stump-like branches projecting from the less spiny 

 side, and a third series with a tripod arrangement of branches at one end. All 

 these are covered by numerous very prominent, simple or branched spines. 

 Many of the irregular forms are markedly striated on the flat surfaces. The 

 spindles average about 0"4 mm. in length, but spindles of about 1 mm. are also 

 present. 



Canal-wall spicules : (a) The stem contains flattened spindles, straight or 

 curved, three-rayed and a number of irregular forms, all of which have small 

 spines at least on the edges. They may be roughly divided into two lots, larger 

 spicules which often show bifurcation at one end and average about 064 mm. 

 in length and 03 nnn. in breadth, and smaller spicules which average about 

 0"24 mm. in length. In addition there are numerous flat, striated spindles or 

 rods with bluntly toothed edges ; these often show a golden glimmer and 

 average about 00-t mm. in length. 



(/y) The spicules of the stalk are similar to the preceding, but are slightly 

 shorter and thicker, and there are fewer of them. 



Colour — Stalk semi-transparent ; stem and branches almost transparent ; 

 polyp-twigs and lower polyp-spicules deep red ; upper polyp-spicules and 

 tentacles white. The colour of the polyps varies according to position on the 

 polyparium, the lower part showing more white, the upper part more red in 

 the polyps. 



Locality : Andamans (J. Wood-Mason). 



Dendronephthya varicolor, Henderson. 



This species is represented by a small complete specimen, which measures 

 3"8 cm. in height and 33 cm. in greatest breadth. 



The stalk is short, 0-9 cm. in length, flabby and greatly shrivelled owing 

 to the thin canal walls. It gives off from its base a large number of thin-walled 

 stolons to which fragments of shells are attached. It is semi-transparent to 

 whitish in colour and granular in appearance in its lower portion. 



The polyparium is oval, regular in outline, and greatly flattened in one 

 plane. Two large branches are given off from the stem in the jilane of flattening 

 and then the stem rises for a short distance and divides into three main 

 branches. The branches are nearly of equal dimensions, they are short. 



