WITHIN THE GENUS DENDRONEPHTHYA. 



71 



Text-fig. 26. 



4. Polyp stalks are short, a little less than 1 mm. 



5. Polyps in small bundles. 



6. Polyp spicules. The anthocodial 

 armature of 8 ])oints shows 6-8 con- 

 verging pairs of small spicules, none 

 projecting, and no very definite crown, 



The supporting bundle has one strong 

 spindle up to 3 mm. in length, pre- 

 dominating and projecting for about 

 0*75 mm. 



7. Other spicides. The cortex of the 

 branches shows numerous long, straight, 

 or curved bi"ight red spindles, covered 

 with short, rather delicate, sharply 

 conical spinules, particularly crowded at 

 the ends. The coi^tex of the stalk region 

 shows («) numerous coarsely tubercu- 

 late broad spindles, straight or curved ; 

 (h) asymmetrical bent spindles, with the tubercles sti-onger on 



'the convex side ; (c) spindles with one end broadened out • 

 {d) irregular tuberculate discs, some almost spherical, others 

 almost stellate ; (e) regular and irregular triradiates (some very 

 massive). 



The canal-walls in the stalk region show numerous strong 

 triradiates and curiously irregular quadriradiates, all roughly 

 tuberculated, while besides these are minute irregularly radiate 

 forms inclining to be smooth. 

 Locality : — Station not marked. 



D. brevirama Burch. 



A much smaller younger colony, of which the polyparium 

 measures 4 cm. by 4*6 cm., is worthy of notice because of certain 

 slight divergences. The umbellate chai^acter of the twigs is 

 much less pronounced, the whole branching is looser, the upper- 

 most pair of spindles in each point sometimes projects to a very 

 slight extent. These do not, however, differ from the others in 

 the way characteristic of D. coronaia, where the projection 

 beyond the polyp is, of course, very marked. The specimen 

 suggests that young stages of members of the Umbellatse may 

 pi-esent a somewhat Divaricate appearance. 



On the other hand, the collection includes another colony, of 

 which the polyparium measures 4-7 cm. by 4-7 cm. in maximum 

 height and breadth, which is interesting in showing the very 

 opposite vegetative characters ; for it is markedly Umbellate 

 in the bi-anching of the twigs and extremely dense in the general 

 branching, so presenting a uniform compact surface. Yet the 

 spiculation and the anthocodial armature are identical. In the 



