ALCYONARTA. 279 



(A.) (B.) (C). 



Total height 66 millims. 66 millims. 36 millims. 



Length of trunk. ... 14 13 9 



head .... 52 53 27 



Maximum width of same . 39 ,, 43 ,, 21 ,, 



The trunk or bare part of the stem is granular in appearance and leathery in 

 texture. In (B.) and (C.) it is greatly wrinkled, owing to the large canals and the 

 weak partition walls between. 



The branching is very profuse, the stem giving off a large number of primary 

 branches which break up into secondaries, and these in their turn into the twigs 

 bearing the polyps. The twigs or tertiary branches bear the polyps in corymb- 

 fashion, so that they all reach the same level, and owing to the large number of the 

 polyps the stem and branches are completely hidden. 



The polyps are arranged in groups of 4 to 6, and they in their turn are aggregated 

 into larger bundles. They are red, with markedly white tentacles. Although some 

 of the spicules close to the polyps become a little stronger, none of them project, so 

 that the colony has not the slightest appearance of being spiny. 



The surface of the stem is rough to the touch and has a granular appearance. In 

 the primary and secondary branches, however, the spicules appear more prominently 

 and give the surface an irregular stringy appearance, and finally they take an almost 

 longitudinal arrangement in the twigs. 



In (A.) the stem, primary and secondary branches are almost white, while in (B.) 

 and (C.) they are yellow. In (A.) the twigs are white, but become pinkish below the 

 polyps, while in (B.) and (C.) they are yellowish, but also become pink below the 

 polyps. Thus there is considerable colour- variation. 



The spicules of the trunk are very short and furnished with long spines. They are 

 very varied in shape short rod-like bodies, 3 -rayed stars, and irregular crosses. In 

 all, however, the spines are well developed. They measure, length by breadth, in 

 millimetres, as follows : 0'15 X O'l ; 0'2 x 0'05 ; 0'20 X O'l ; 0'5 X 0'15. All these 

 measurements include the spines, which often measure 0*04 X 0'02 ; 0'03 X 0'02 ; 

 and 0-045 X O'Ol. 



The spicules of the stem and branches are long slender spindles, usually curved or 

 bent and covered by fairly prominent spines. They measure, length by breadth, in 



213 specimens in all, but in many cases he only studied one (32) or two (21). He makes 30 new species, 

 some of which may correspond to those here described as new, though we have not been able as yet to 

 satisfy ourselves as to any identity. We venture to predict, however, that further study of this prolific 

 genus, whether it be called Spongodes or Dendrmephthya, with say ten specimens of each species, will 

 increase the number of quite distinct species, and will lessen the number of closely adjacent species, reducing 

 them to varietal forms. Even on a single colony there is often great diversity, and the impression of 

 great lability is increased when we compare different specimens of the same species collected on the same 

 date from the same locality. J. A. T. 



