Family 



This family is represented by the following form- : 

 Subfamily Spongocliua) : 



SjHtiii/odfs -ulnjinosa, n. sp. 



,, alcocki, u. sp. 

 Lithophytum indicum, n. sp. 

 Subfamily Siphonogorginse : 



Chironephthya variabilis, Hicksou. 



,, macrospiculata, n. sp. 



Stereacanthia indica, n.g. et sp. 

 Agaricoides alcocki, Simpson, n. g. et sp. 



Subfamily Spongodinae. 

 Spongodes uliginosa, n. sp. 



This species belongs to the section Divaricatse and to the Suensoni group a-, 

 defined by Kiikenthal. 



The colony is small, 21 mm. in maximum height and 28 mm. iii width. 

 It resembles a thorny bush, and is greyish-white in colour. The trunk is short, and 

 the first branches arise at a height of 10 mm. from the base. The lowest branches 

 are flat and reflexed, forming a complete collar round the upper part of the trunk. 



The polyps arise singly on short twigs. The twig is composed of lan_;e 

 spicules which are placed longitudinally and project beyond the polyp base, tins 

 giving rise to the thorny appearance. The polyp heads are borne on short 

 peduncles, and the two together reach a height of 3 mm. On the anthocodia the 

 spicules are arranged in a crown and points ; in the crown there are two to three 

 transverse rows, and in each point there are two prominent converging spicules. 

 These separate a little at their free ends and form a circle of projecting spines 

 round the retracted tentacles. On the aboral surface of the tentacles there are 

 bands of spicules arranged longitudinally. The spicules of the general 

 coenenchyma are spindles either straight or twisted, and covered with numerous 

 warty projections. Their measurements, length by breadth in millimetres, are as 

 follows : 



8x0-5; 7x0-5; 5'5x0'35; 2x0'3; O-GxO'05. 



Some of the spindles are bifid at one end, or give off a short projection from 

 one of the lateral surfaces. 



The polyp spicules are warty spindles and irregular rods. They may be 

 straight, curved, or sharply bent at one end. The following measurements were 

 taken of length and breadth in millimetres : 

 1-6x0-1; 1-5x0-1; 0'3x0'045; 0'3x0'02; O-lGxO'0'25; O'lxO'03; 0'07x (>(>_'. 



This species comes very near Spongodes suensoni, Holm, but differs from it 



