520 MR. E. W. SnANN ON 



It may be noted that the two last-mentioned specimens are 

 much smaller than any recoi'ded by Kiikenthal. The colonr 

 of the upper branches and " Stiitzbiindel " is pink, whereas the 

 typical colour for this region is deep red. Moreover, no radial 

 spicules were observed in the lower portion of the stem. 



The exact sj'stematic position of a fourth specimen is rather 

 doubtful ; but, until furbher evidence is forthcoming, it has 

 been deemed advisable to describe the specimen under the specific 

 title D. disciformis. 



This specimen shows externally the typical " disciformis " 

 features. It is 9*5 cm. in height and 8'5 x3"0 cm. in breadth, 

 thus exceeding somewhat in dimensions the largest specimen 

 described above. The characters and distribution of the spicules 

 are identical with those of typical examples, ordy excepting those 

 from the lower portion of the stem. The spicules found in the 

 last-mentioned area are spiny clubs (fig. 13), among which are 

 scattered a few of the typical radiate forms. The clubs vary in 

 length from •70--27 mm., but the majority are -45 mm. ; the 

 thickness is almost the same even in forms of different length, 

 the average width of the handle of the club is "05 mm., that 

 of the head "12 mm., excluding the spines, which sometimes 

 reach -044 mm. in height. The colour of the branches and 

 " Stiitzbiindel " is a dull yellowish brown, and there are no red 

 spicules such as are found in these areas in all the other recorded 

 specimens. Kiikenthal (1905) described a colony whose branches 

 were pale brown and whose polyps were white, but even in this 

 specimen red spicules were observed. 



Doubtless one might be led to base a new variety of Dendro- 

 nephthya on the characters of the colony described above, a 

 colony possessing a very characteristic form of spicule which has 

 not been observed, either from the same region or from any 

 other region, in any previously recorded specimen of D. disci- 

 formis. Such a course might have been adopted had not this 

 aberrant form been taken at the same time and from the same 

 place as the two smaller of the three colonies described above, 

 namely, between Pulo Hautu and Blakang Mati, 8/xii/98, in 

 7 fms. It seems probable, then, that the species D. disciformis 

 is liable to considerable variation in the colour of the terminal 

 branches and " Stiitzbiindel," and in the character of the spicules 

 wdiich are found in the lower region of the stem. The latter 

 phenomenon is very remai'kable, and, it is hoped, may act as a 

 check to the frequency with which new species are created to 

 separate two or more specimens of Alcyonaria which only differ 

 from one another in the shape of their spicules. 



Genus Stereonephthya Kiikenthal. 



1869. SjJoggodia (pars) Gray, in Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) 



vol. iii. p. 128. 

 1877. Spoggodia (pars) Klunzinger. 

 1889. " Divaricatse " {Spongodes) Wright & Studer. 



