2G MTSS EUTH M. HAEEISON ON NEW ALCYONARIA 



less oval spicules, covered with very irregular warts or spines : the axis contains 

 elongated spicules heset with few hlunt spines. In the tubulur colonies one might 

 expect to find that the spicules lining the tube would be of the same nature as those 

 of the bark: as a matter of fact, this is not the case. These spicules (to which I shall 

 refer as those of the "inner bark," to distinguish them from those of the " outer bark") 

 resemble more closely those of the axis, but they are very much shorter. The spicules 

 of both inner and outer bark are practically the same size in all three specimens. I 

 cannot find the great' variability in length quoted by Janower : for instance, he states 

 that the length of the baik-spicules of S. tubulomm varies between OOi and 1'2 mm., 

 and those of S. tortuosum between - 05 and 06 mm. ; moreover, lie finds spicules in 

 the axis of S. tortuosum only 003 mm. long. As he calls no special attention to the 

 minuteness of these spicules, and as there are instances in his paper where the decimal 

 point has been omitted, it suggests a doubt as to the correctness of the statement in 

 the one case, and what is meant in the other. 



The result of a comparison of these forms, which have points of resemblance to 

 S. tortuosum on the one hand and to <S'. tubulosum on the other, leads me to Professor 

 Hickson's conclusion that the two species are probably one and the same. At all 

 events, I am convinced that the three specimens in the present collection belong to the 

 same species, and I have accordingly called them S. tortuosum. 



II.— SYSTEMATIC PART. 

 Fam. Nethth yidje. 



Genus Spongodes (Lesson, 1834). 



Branching tree-like Nephthyidaa whose polyps are always united in bundles protected 

 by one or more projecting spicules. Three types are distinguishable : — 



1. Glomeratse: branching slight ; polyp-bundles in smaller or larger rounded groups, 

 surface of polyp-bearing part consequently much broken up. 



2. Divaricatae : branches much spread out and diverging from one another ; polyps 

 scattered on slender terminal twigs and not gathered together in bundles. 



3. Uinbellatse : terminal twigs form distinct umbels. These umbels may he separate 

 from one another, or several joined together to form larger umbels, or all the umbels 

 or groups of umbels may form one continuous surface. In all cases the polyps are 

 found on the surface of the polyp-bearing portion. 



Kukenthal has reduced the number of described species to eighty-seven, of which 

 twenty-eight are new. In addition to these species are twenty-nine other described 

 species, of which four are not given a position in his systematic scheme owing to their 

 inadequate descriptions ; sixteen have been referred to other species ; eight are referred 

 to the genus Spongodia under the new name Stereonephtliya, of which two are new ; 

 and eleven are referred to the genus Nephthya. Since the publication of Kukenthal's 

 paper, Thomson and Henderson (51, 52, and 53) have described seven new species; 



