310 FUNAFUTI ATOLL. 



horny but rather brittle, at the base it is 1 mm. in diameter, the 

 branches varying from '5 to - 7 mm. The colour is blackish-brown, 

 the extremities of the branchlets are yellowish-brown. 



The polyps arise at right angles and are arranged on the sides 

 of the branches alternately, they are wider at the apex and base 

 than in the middle, measuring ! to 1-5 mm. in height, *7 to '9 

 mm. in diameter, and occur at intervals of from ! to 5' mm. 



The coanenchyma of the stem is extremely thin, and of a yellowish- 

 white colour, the spicules are few and wide apart, the axis being 

 visible through the tissues. 



The spicules of the co3iienchyma are straight or curved, spindles 

 longitudinally arranged, with acute points and a few distant blunt 

 spines. 



Size -3 by .05, -5 by -04, -7 by -05 mm. 



The polyp spicules are arranged transversely at the base in 

 oblique rows on the sides, but not so distinctly seriate as in other 

 species of the genus ; at the base of the tentacles they are peri- 

 pheral, and the apex is surmounted by a series of long needle-like 

 spicules with a simple strongly bent or a bifurcated base. The 

 surface spicules are distantly spiny or tuberculate, those deeply 

 seated are often quite smooth. The spicules of the base and sides 

 are curved spindles, with a few blunt spines near the ends and 

 occasionally tuberculate in the middle. Size -5 by '05, -65 by 

 04, - 8 by 06 mm. The deep-seated spicules are curved or bent, 

 rarely straight, smooth or with faint indications of spines. Size 

 3 by -03, -5 by -04, -7 by -03 mm. The coronal spicules have the 

 long free end smooth, the stout basal portion is strongly tubercu- 

 late and either simple and angularly bent or bifurcated. Size 

 5 by -08, -6 by -07, 1-by "07 mm. The tentacle spicules are short 

 curved rods or spindles with a few strong blunt spines, which are 

 often large and prominent on the convex sides. Size '2 by -02 

 mm. 



Colour in formol is yellowish-white. 



This species may be distinguished from other species of the 

 genus by its small polyps and large spicules. 



ANTHOMURICEA SIMPLEX, sp. nov. 

 (Plate xvi., figs. 11-15.) 



A small broken and evidently unbranched specimen is here 

 referred to this genus. The stem arises from an enlarged base, 

 measures 35 mm. in height, judging by the fragments its original 

 height must have been between 60 and 70 mm., the lower portion 

 is a little flattened, the upper cylindrical, it exhibits two subequal 

 curves in opposite directions, and is uniformly 2 mm. in diameter. 



