316 FUNAFUTI ATOLL. 



smaller branches are given off almost at right angles, at a short 

 distance from their origin they are bent or curved upwards ; they 

 are alternate, rarely opposite, and occur at intervals of from 3 to 

 10 mm. throughout the whole colony. 



The polyps are confined to one surface, they are alternate or 

 opposite, and arise at right angles from the front and sides of the 

 stem and branches. A median line devoid of polyps exists on 

 most of the younger shoots, but on the older parts it is more or 

 less interrupted by isolated polyps ; the terminal twigs invariably 

 have an opposed pair of polyps at their apices. 



The length of the main stem is 100 mm., its diameter at the 

 base is 2*5 mm., and at the broken summit 1'5 mm. ; the largest 

 branch is 8 '5 mm. in length, and 1-5 mm. in diameter; the shorter 

 branches and twigs range from 5 to '14 mm. in length, and have a 

 diameter of 1 mm. 



The axis is of a dark brownish-yellow at the base, the branches 

 are of lighter shade ; at the base it is 1'7 mm. in diameter, the 

 terminal twigs are -2 mm. at their origin. 



The co3nenchyma is thin, on the bases of the stem and larger 

 branches, elsewhere it is a little thicker, the spicules consist of 

 large closely tuberculated spindles, some are cylindrical to within 

 a short distance of their acute points, others taper from the middle 

 to sharp points, whilst some few are branched and have two or 

 three short acutely pointed rays ; they are curved bent or twisted 

 and adapted to embrace the stem, a dried fragment presenting a 

 a wicker-work-like aspect due to the interlacing of the large 

 spicules, the general arrangement being longitudinal. 



The polyps are conical and arise from between the large spicules, 

 they are - 8 mm. in height, '8 to 1 mm. in diameter at the base 

 and from -4 to -7 mm. at the apex. 



The basal portion of each polyp is partly surrounded by the 

 bent ends of the stem spicules and a series of other much shorter 

 spicules, extending to the summit of the verrucse, which are 

 arranged longitudinally in rather indistinct groups, either erect 

 or placed at an angle with their apices in contact. Above these 

 is situated a narrow collar of short curved spicules, which forms a 

 projecting rim around the summit, and arising within the collar are 

 numerous short spiny spicules forming an operculum. There are 

 also a few nearly smooth spicules embedded in the tentacles. 



The coenenchyma spicules consist of large closely tuberculate 

 cylindrical or fusiform spindles, occasionally branched. Size 1 by 

 15, 2- by -2, 3- by -27, 4-5 by -24, 5- by -28, 5-5 by -3 mm. 



The polyp spicules are as follows : 



(1.) Larger straight or curved fusiform spindles with rather 

 distant rounded tubercles. Size '4 by ! ; -6 by -15 mm. 



