98 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



XI. — Note on Eunephthya glomerata, Verrill, from the Faeroe Channel. 

 By Professor J. Arthur Thomson, M.A. 



(Read 28th March 1910. Received 28th March 1910.) 



I have previously recorded in the Proceedings of this Society the 

 occurrence of two interesting Anthozoa from the Faeroe Channel, Primnoa 

 reseda, Linn., and Antipathes larix, Esper, and as it seems worth while 

 continuing the list as specimens turn up, I wish now to add Eunephthya 

 glomerata, Verrill. I obtained a single specimen from the collections of the 

 " Goldseeker," and I am indebted to Prof. D'Arcy W. Thompson, C.B., for 

 permission to make it the subject of this note. 



The small colony rises to a height of about 22 mm. with a maximum 

 breadth of 15 mm. A short trunk bears about three dozen polyps in ill- 

 defined groups. There are so many spicules that the whole colony is stiff, 

 and the surface has a glistening, frosted appearance — more or less white in 

 colour. Most of the polyps are 3 to 4 mm. in height, and the upper part 

 shows eight strongly-marked longitudinal ridges and intervening grooves. 

 The ridges taper, bend inwards round the mouth, and are continued into 

 the inturned tentacles. These are curved like a crozier, and their aboral 

 surface is heavily armoured with spicules which cease near the tip. The 

 spicules are clubs and spindles, some compact irregular bodies and a few 

 cruciate forms. The clubs vary greatly in size and appearance, but most 

 of them have enlarged heads, extremely rough, with stout blunt processes 

 usually directed towards the apex. The following measurements were taken 

 of length and breadth— the latter measured across the club, 015 x - 06 ; 

 - 2 x O04 ; - 3 x 01 mm. The spindles have usually sparse, blunt tubercles. 

 Two common sizes are — 04 x 004 ; 0'8 x 0'02 mm. 



The large and somewhat difficult genus Eunephthya, as re-defined by 

 Kukenthal, includes more or less branched Nephthyid colonies, with thin 

 canal walls not thickly filled with spicules, with polyps without Stiitzbiindel, 

 in groups or singly, retractile or non-retractile, but not divided into distinct 

 calycine and retractile portions. The nearest genus is Gersemia, in which a 

 portion of the polyp is retractile within a distinct calyx. 



The genus Eunephthya is divided into two main divisions — (1) Alcyoniform, 

 with thickened contractile terminal branches, with completely retractile, 

 elongated cylindrical polyps disposed singly ; and (2) Nephlhyiform, with 

 unthickened, non-retractile terminal branches, with polyps grouped in 

 bundles, club-shaped, and non-retractile. 



