66 DR. W. RAE SHERRIFFS ON EVOLUTION 



there is considerable variety in the anthococlial points, especially 

 with regard to the relation between the two terminal or the 

 single terminal and the two or three rows immediately below. 

 Localities: — Stations 99, 164. 



16. Dendronephthya halDereri (Kiik.). 



Described by Kiikenthal in ' Versuch einer Revision der 

 Alcyonarien,' ii. pp. 638-641 (1905). 



Diagnosis : — Umbellate ; compact ; stiff ; almost uniform con- 

 tour ; polyparium very brittle ; lowest bi^anches foliaceous ; 

 polyps in small groups; polyp stalks very short; supporting 

 bundle strong ; point spicules over 7 pairs, short, not projecting; 

 no crown ; grade II. ; spicules : lower cortex has veiy thick, 

 rough spindles, triradiates, quadriradiates, and irregular bodies, 

 all with compound tubercles suited for interlocking; colour: 

 polyps yellowish, anthocodial armature opal-white, supporting- 

 bundle and upper cortex spicules pale pink, others whitish and 

 colourless. 



Anthocodial Grade and Formula : — 

 II, = 7 + p + Or + strong S.B. 



Descriptive Notes : — 



1. Colony as a lohole. Eight colonies; umbellate; of very 

 compact build, stifi' ; with a grouping of the umbels in hemi- 

 spherical masses which, however, are so close together that an 

 alinost uniform contour results. The polyparium is 4-5 cm. in 

 height, 7 cm. in width, and 4"5 cm. in thickness, in one instance, 

 and is very brittle. 



2. Branching. Nearer inspection shows that the colony is 

 composed of about a dozen hemispherical masses rising from a 

 short, broad, flattened stalk, with few short, thick branches, the 

 lowest of which are foliaceous. It should therefore be referred 

 to Kiikenthal's group A, division 2, and to the disciformis group, 

 where the polyparium is flattened and has an oval shape with the 

 largest axis horizontal (" queroval "). Within this group the 

 specimens agree with B. haherei'i. Although considerable por- 

 tions of the short, broad stem and bi-anches are bare, these are 

 only seen on close examination, for the umbels, which all come to 

 the surface, are practically continuous. The sterile stalk has its 

 long axis in line with that of the polyparium. 



3. Colouring. The polyps are yellowish, the anthocodial arma- 

 ture opal-white, the spicules of the supporting bundle and upper 

 cortex are pale pink ; the others are whitish and colourless. 



4. Polyp stalks very short. 



5. Polyps yellowish, in small groups. 



6. Polyp spicules. The anthocodial armature consists of at 

 least 7 pairs of converging short spindles in each point. These 

 point spicules, which may not project, are abtout 0'2 mm in length, 



