218 FUNAFUTI ATOLL. 



The siphonozooids are exceedingly minute and the orifices 

 difficult to see even with a strong lens. Their number is from 

 two to four between two autozooids. 



The spicules of the ccenenchyma are straight, or curved, irre" 

 gularly tuberculated spindles, displaying great variation in outline; 

 some are cylindrical to within a short distance of the ends, where 

 they taper rapidly to rather blunt points, others are clavate with 

 the narrow end acute, and a few taper gradually to acute points. 

 Size -5 by -12, 2- by -4 mm. 



The cortical spicules arc small clubs with tuberculate heads and 

 spiny sharply pointed shafts. Size -15 by '04, - 25 by "07 mm. 

 There are also a few smooth or slightly spiny spindles ; crosses 

 have not been observed. The colour in spirits is yellowish-gray. 



LOBOPHYTUM CONFERTUM, Dana. 



(Plate xi., figs. 5a-e.) 



Lobophytum confertum, Dana, U. S. Explor. Exped., Zooph., 

 pi. Mi., fig. 7, a, b ; Synop. Rep. Zooph., 1859, p. 125. 



One specimen in which the sterile column is absent is with 

 some hesitation referred to this species. The colony is -cry hard 

 to the touch, and densely charged with large spicules, which can 

 be seen with the unaided eye projecting from the broken surfaces. 



The capitulum consists of eight or nine main lobes, upon which 

 are situated a large number of secondary lobes, varying greatly 

 in shape ; on the basal expansion they are subcylindrical or 

 compressed and are from 4 to 15 mm. high, and 3 to 5 mm. thick. 

 Along the sides of the primaries the secondaries form low ridges 

 which extend in a more or less broken manner from the bases to 

 the summits, they are about as high as broad. The apical and 

 subapical lobes are very variable, scarcely any two being alike ; 

 they may be round, trigonous, or much compressed, with a slight 

 longitudinal groove, and the margins folded towards each other; 

 they are from 5 to 15 mm. high, 3 to 10 mm. in their broad, and 

 from 3 to 5 mm. in their narrow diameter. 



The autozooids are evenly distributed, the marginal walls of 

 the orifices deeply sunk ; they are tolerably uniformly spaced, 

 being 1 mm. apart. 



The siphonozooids are so minute that a high magnifying lens 

 fails to render them visible. 



The ccenenchyma exhibits when viewed in transverse section a 

 large number of canals from -5 to 2 mm. in diameter ; the walls 

 are thickly charged with very large tuberculate spindles. 



The tubercles are small, close, rather indistinctly whorled and 

 minutely granular ; some of the larger spicules have spines only, 



