ALCYONAUIA FROM SIXGArORE. 519 



Nephthya — to designate the merged genera. The genus Dendro- 

 neplithya is almost synonymous with t)^pongodes (Glomerata', 

 Umbellata?, and Divaricatie), as defined by Kiikenthal in 1896, 

 and ^tereonephtliya has a like I'elation with his Spongodes 

 (Spongodia). 



There is no doubt that here, again, Kiikenthal was acting in 

 accordance with the International Rules of Nomenclatm-e, Had 

 these llules been extant at the time Kiikenthal published his 

 classification of the Nephthyidie in 1896, the name S-j^ongodes 

 would doubtless have been discaixletl by him then, for in the 

 second section of Art. 30 it is written : "In no case, however, 

 can the name of the original genus be transferred to a group 

 containing none of the species originally included in the genus." 

 Thus Sp07igodes, as used by Kiikenthal in 1896, would not be 

 considered as a valid generic name by those who accept the 

 International Rules of Zoological Nomenclature, which appeared 

 in 1905. One cannot but feel the loss of a name which for 

 nearly a century has been familiar to students of the Alcyonaria, 

 and regret the inconvenience caused in Museums and Zoological 

 Laboratories throughout the world by its suppression. Nomen- 

 clature is a matter of convenience and cannot be regulated 

 absolutely by. ai'bitrary laws. Generally speaking, of two 

 synonyms, that which is most familiar to the majority is to be 

 preferred ; a more practical reason should be required than a 

 mere regulation before supplanting an old familiar geneiic name 

 by a new one. If we are required to obey literally the Inter- 

 national Rules of Zoological Nomenclature, such everyday names 

 as Astacus, Ilolothuria, Actinia, Madrepora, and many others 

 will be forfeited, as has been Spongodes. While regretting that 

 Kiikenthal did not exercise his authority in retaining the name 

 Spo%godes, in deference to his extensive knowledge of the Neph- 

 thyidaj and his able reorganisation of that family, I have adopted 

 the term Dendronephthya for a genus of Nejahthyidte defined as 

 follows by Kiikenthal (1905) :— 



" Nephthyiden von baumformig verzweigtem Aufbau, deren 

 Polypen stets in BLindeln vereinigt sind, Polypen mit ' Stiitz- 

 bundeln.' " 



DEXDRONEPHTnrA DisciFORMis Kiikenthal 1905, (PI. LXIII. 

 fig. 13.) 



Three specimens in the collection agree so nearly in all 

 essential featui'es with the description given by Kiikenthal 

 (1905) for D. disciformis that there is little doubt that they 

 may be assigned to that species. Kiikenthal's specimen came 

 from the China Sea. 



The largest of the three colonies is 8 cm. high, 7 cm. broad, and 

 3"5 cm. thick. It was taken oflf Pulo Brani in 5 fms. of water. 



Two other specimens were taken in 7 fms. of water between 

 Pulo Hautu and Blakang Mati. Their measurements, height by 

 breadth by thickness, are 4x4x2-5 cm., and 3*5 X 2-5 x 1'5 cm. 

 respectively. 



