134 



Polyps occur indefinitely over the whole colony except on the lower 15 

 mm. of the main stem. The verrucse are ledge-like and only in exceptional cases 

 encircle the polyp. They are extremely substantial and the ends of the large 

 spicules project at the top so as to form an efficient shield to the more delicate 

 anthocodia. The anthocodiie are proportionately very small but bear a distinc- 



Fig. 60. Tip of branch of Sipho- 

 nogorgia palmata, u. sp., x 4. 



Fig. 61. Polyp of Siphonogorgia 

 palmata, u. sp., x 25. 



tive opercular armature. There is a very definite "crown" or collar composed 

 of eight to ten rows of curved interlocking spindles which diminish in size to- 

 wards the stomodoeal region ; surmounting this ai*e eight well-marked " points," 

 each of which consists essentially of two very large unequal bent spindles touch- 

 ing on their convex sides for the upper half but diverging at the base. Between 

 these there may be one or two small spindles, while between the points one 

 sometimes finds a pair of spicules. Thus there may l)e an approach to Hick- 

 son's " fan-arrangement ". 



The colour is orange-yellow liut the anthocodi:* have a deeper orange tint 

 while others are red. 



Locality : Andamans. 



Siphonogorgia annectens, n. sp. 

 This species is represented by a small dull-red compact colony, 4 cm. high 

 and 4 cm. in maximum breadth, composed of a flattened basal expansion 3 cm. 



