| OCR Text |
Show 1899.] ASTRcEID CORALS FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 761 of which in the largest calices (1*3 cm.) more than 20 often reach the columella. The latter is formed by a few coarse trabecular from the septal edges and is never very large. The walls in m y specimen are nowhere more than 8-5 cm. in thickness, and in longitudinal sections are seen to remain of the same thickness throughout. Rotuma; extreme edge of reef with the three preceding species. 6. PRIONASTRCEA TENELLA Dana. Astrcea tenella, Dana, Zooph. p. 231, pl. xiii. fig. 1 (1848). A small colony rather doubtfully referred to this species and even to this genus. Rotuma; outer reef. Genus CYPHASTRCEA. Cigphastrcpa, Milne-Edwards & Haime. Comp. rend, de lAcad. des Sc. xxvii. p. 494 (1848), and Cor. ii. p. 484 (1857). There does not seem to be any real difference between this genus and Solenastrcea, but, as I have been unable to make any comparison of a large number of specimens, I have retained the generic name. There are only two specimens of the genus in the collection, both of which were found lying unattached in the boat-channel at Rotuma. They were, when found, both completely covered with polyps, and were the only corals obtained in the living condition from such a position. 1. CYPHASTRCEA CHALCIDICUM Forsk. Madrepora chalcidicum, Forskal, Descr. an. in it. orient, p. 136 (1775)- Cyphastrcea chalcidicum, Klunzinger, Die Korall. des R. Meeres, iii. p. 53, pl. v. fig. 8, pl. x. fig. 11 (1879). One colony certainly identical with the specimens referred by Klunzinger to the above species. The specimen is a free, oval-shaped mass, 16 cm. by 10 cm. by about 7 cm. thick, completely covered with calices. Rotuma; boat-channel. 2. CYPHASTRCEA SAVIGNYI Milne-Edwards & Haime. (Plate XLIX. fig. 1.) Cyphastrcea savignyi, Milne-Edwards & Haime, Ann. des Sc Nat. ser. 3, xii. p. 115 (1850), and Cor. ii. p. 485 (1857). A single specimen agreeing closely with all the characters given by the above authors. The colony is a round, free, flat m a s s - about 10 cm. across by 2*5 cm. thick-with eleven large blunt lobes at the edge, the whole completely covered with calices except for a small area on each side. The calices project commonly for about 1 m m . above the general surface, but a few are free for 2 or even 3 mm.; in diameter they are generally about 2 mm., |
