444 ^^^ Philippine Journal of Science lais 



Capnella philippinensis is most closely related to Capnella 

 capitulifera (Wr. and St.) and C. imbricata (Q. and G.). It 

 seems to be especially close to C. capitulifera, a description of 

 which, since it is a Philippine species, is given at the beginning 

 of the paper. Of the 50 colonies that I have examined, only 3, 

 belonging to the varieties arborea and albida, approach the tree- 

 like form of C. capitulifera, and Only 1, variety arborea, agrees 

 with it closely. The principal distinction between the two 

 species, however, is the difference in the form of the spicules of 

 the canal walls. In the original description, Wright and Studer 

 (1889) do not state that the canal walls contain foliaceous clubs, 

 but they make the statement that the spicules of the species are 

 foliaceous clubs and in their spicule drawings show spicules of no 

 other type except some spicules resembling the capstan-like forms 

 found in the polyp armature and stem cortex of C. philippinensis. 

 Kiikenthal (1903), in his revision of the genus, following 

 Studer's description (1894), says: "Die ausserst zahlreichen 

 und engen Canale enthalten in ihren Wanden zahlreiche Blatt- 

 keulen von 0.17 mm. Lange, die an einem Ende meist in einem 

 langen spitzen Dom zulaufen." Capnella philippinensis has no 

 foliaceous clubs in the canal walls, and indeed this type of spicule 

 is found only in the distal portion of the polyp and in the ten- 

 tacle points, the spicules of the canal walls being cross-shaped, 

 4-rayed, and spindle-shaped forms. The spicules of the polyp 

 and stem cortex are also somewhat different in that the central 

 portion of the foliated distal end of these spicules is cylindrical 

 rather than flattened as in C. capitulifera. Kiikenthal also says 

 in his diagnosis : "In der Stammrinde liegen compacte vierstrah- 

 lige Sterne * * *." Although he mentions no other spicules 

 of the stem cortex, it is probable that he here refers to the 

 spicules of the inner stem cortex, for Wright and Studer (1889) 

 say in their original description : "The spicules are small, closely 

 placed, foliaceous and spiny clubs. The broader portion of 

 the spicule, which, in the polyp, projects above the surface 

 * * *," evidently including in this statement the spicules 

 of the outer stem cortex as well as those of the polyp. 

 This is made more certain by the fact that in C. philippinensis, 

 a closely related form, we find capstan-like spicules in the outer 

 stem cortex somewhat similar to the foliaceous, clubs described 

 and figured by Wright and Studer for C. capitulifera and 4- 

 rayed forms in the inner stem cortex similar to those spoken 

 of by Studer and Kiikenthal as occurring in the stem cortex of 

 C. capitulifera. Furthermore, it is generally characteristic of 



