516 



MR. E. W. SHANN ON 



On applying the key to the species of Nej)liihyaj given by 

 Kiikenthal (1903, p. 145) to the case of N. hedfordi, it is seen 

 that this species falls within the group chai'acteiised by forms 

 in which the terminal lobes are conical but rounded. The 

 inner polyp-spicules are smaller than the outer ; moreover, 

 they have the form of smooth rods. These characters taken 

 together indicate that N. hedfordi resembles closely N. pacifica 

 and N. alhida ; and, since the spicules do not form a ring around 

 the base of the polyp, it may be infei'red that the new species is 

 most nearly allied to N. albida Holm, so far as the key to the 

 species can be relied upon. Excepting in the character of the 

 inner polyp-spicules, however, iV. hedfordi appears to be more 

 nearly related to K. elongata Kiikenthal than to iV. alhida. 

 This supposition is supported by the fact that N. elongata is 

 reported from Ternate, while N. alhida is a Red Sea form. The 

 points of difierence and of resemblance between N. hedfordi and its 

 two nearest allies may be seen at a glance in the appended table : — 



Character. 



N. elongata. 



N. hedfordi. 



iV. alhida. 



Terminallobes 1 .^j°V^^ -• 



5 

 3 



6-3 



4-3 



9 



7 



rolyp-heads{5^°^|^ ";;;; 



•8 

 •9--6 



11 



•6 



1 

 •7 



Angle between Polyp and 

 Stalk 



45° 



•27X — 

 •13X— 



(Spiny spindles.) 



Acute. 



•3X-025 

 •112X-023 

 (Smooth rods.) 



Eight. 



•3X^03 



•4X-015 



(Smooth rods.) 



Po,„..n.ic«L,{£S :;; 



" Stiitzbiindel " 



Projects slightly. 

 1-5 



Does not project. 



•6 

 •05 



Projects slightly. 



1-2 



•12 



Spicules of " Stiitzbiindel " 



Long 



Thick ... 



Spicules of Upper Cortex : 



Long 



Thick ... 



•8 



1 

 •075 



1^4 

 •12 



Spicules of Lower Cortex : 



Long 



Thick ... 



•8 

 (Compact.) 



•35-^22 



•125 

 (Comb-like and 

 radiate forms.) 



•85 

 •22 



Spicules of Canal-walls : 



Long 



Thick ... 



1-2 

 (Scattered.) 



l^l--4 

 •2-^08 

 (Spindle and tri- 

 radiate forms.) 



1 

 •2 



Colour (in alcohol) 



Greyish yellow. 



Cinder-grey. 



Greyish white. 



Locality 



Ternate, 5 fms. 



Singapore. 



Ived Sea. 





All measurements are in millimetres. 



Lest the use of an artificial key to the identification of species 

 should have led me to overlook a member of the genus not 

 included in the group to which the Singapore specimen apparently 



