A study has been made of spin waves in the antiferro-, ferri-, and ferromagnetic phases of FeCl2·2H2O. These levels are found to interact strongly with a field independent level at 31.5 cm -1. A similar interaction is found in CoCl2·2H 2O near 29.3 cm-1. This field independent level has been tentatively identified as a k=0, low-lying optical phonon. This phonon appears to be infrared active only because of its coupling with nearby magnon levels. The experimental data for both materials is well described by a phenomenological magnon-phonon interaction. © 1969 The American Institute of Physics.