CORALS FROM SOUTH AFRICA. 8/5 



vertical to the main axis. There is a slight anastomosis of the 

 branches ; the meshes thus produced are veiy irregular in shape. 

 Sometimes branches, which may be slightly divided, are seen 

 growing into the meshes ; these offshoots may arise from the 

 internodes, but this is rare. 



The nodes and internodes are veiy distinctly marked, the former 

 being dark red and the latter light red in colour. The internodes 

 vary in length from 2 mm. near the base to 9 mm. towards the 

 apex of the colony. The nodes are more or less ring-shaped, but 

 they have a slight projection in front. The nodes are smaller 

 towards the apices of the branches than near the bases and are 

 not so easily distinguished from the internodes. Near the base 

 the nodes may be 4 mm. in length and 3 mm. in diameter ; 

 towards the apex they are about 1 mm. in length and diameter. 



The axis consists of long needle-like spicules densely compressed 

 together. The lower part of the axis is not perforated by canals. 

 On a branch of average size, the diameter of the axis is about 

 1 mm. The internodes of the axis are pale pink, the nodes 

 darker in colour. 



The base of the colony is a thick trunk about 5 mm. in 

 diameter, but it soon divides and gives rise to the branches. The 

 branches are disposed in a more or less fan-shaped manner. 

 Various organisms, such as Polyzoa, Brachiopods, and Hydroids, 

 are thickly grouped at the base of the colony. 



The coenenchyma covering the axis is about ^ of a millimetre 

 in thickness : its surface is densely covered by an extremely large 

 number of spicules of varied size and shape. A rough surface is 

 produced by the slightly protruding spicules. 



The contracted polyps appear as yellow papillfe on the surface 

 of the coenenchyma, and are about '6 mm. in height and 1 mm. in 

 breadth. On the large, basal branches of the colony, the polyps 

 are only distributed on three sides, but on the apical branches 

 they occur on all sides. Polyps are situated on the nodes, and 

 not simply confined to the internodes. The spicules of the polyps 

 are yellow, and are arranged in eight areas. 



The spicules of the coenenchyma are of the following forms : — 

 Clubs, with broad leaf-like processes ; curved spindles with 

 narrow processes, some of these spicules are so much curved as 

 almost to form a semicircle ; straight spindles of two forms : 

 (a) those with small processes, and (b) those with broad, expanded 

 processes ; other spicules are irregular in shape, owing to the 

 presence of broad processes, which produce a more or less branched 

 appearance ; one of these spicules has, for example, three apical 

 prongs or processes. 



The spicules of the coenenchyma are all red in colour. 

 The spicules of the polyps are as follows : — ■ 

 Straight spindles fairly similar in form to those of the coenen- 

 chyma ; curved spindles, also fairly similar in shape to those of 

 the coenenchyma, some of these spindles are bifurcated at the end 



