OCR Text |
Show 950 MR. J. S. GARDINER ON CORALS [Dec. 14, verrucae, owing to the crown of spines round them, are very distinct and appear rather deep. This species is closely allied to P. plicata of Dana by its septa and columella, but it is at once distinguished by its mode of growth, numerous verrucae, dense corallum, and large spines. 18. BOCILLOPORA RUGOSA, n. sp. (Elate LVII. fig. 2.) Corallum of rather short, very thick, arborescent branches, which tend at their summits to be somewhat lobed and incrassate, about 12 mms. thick by 25-40 mms. broad, with apices sparingly covered with low and small verrucae with very angular, thin-walled cells between. The sides of the branches are sparingly covered by large verrucae, which are always separated by spaces equal to tbeir diameter from one another; they are generally about 5-6 mms. long by 2-3 mms. in diameter at their bases, are somewhat pointed, and stand out almost at right angles to the stems. The surface of the corallum is covered with low blunt spines, which form striations between the calices, which are generally shallow, from *6-*9 m m . in diameter and round. The ccenenchyma is little developed between even the lowest calices. The septa are very indistinct. The columella is slender, and in the lower calices of the colony very prominent. The colony, when first obtained, had a most brilliant dark green colour. Funafuti; 7 fathoms. The specimen on which this species is founded is a colony 11 cms. high, arising from an incrusting base. It consists of one large stem 3 cms. in diameter, which has divided dichotomously above. Its nearest allies are P. grandis and P. elegans, but it is separated from these by its distinct columella and the arrangement of its verrucae. 19. BOCILLOPORA GRANDIS, Dana. Pocillopora grandis, Dana, Zoophytes, p. 534, pl. 51. figs. 2-2 c. Pocillopora elongata, Dana, Zoophytes, p. 531, pl. 50. figs. 4-4 6. Pocillopora elegans, Dana, Zoophytes, p. 530, pl. 51. figs. 1-1 u. Pocillopora eyclmxl, Milne-Edwards & Haime, Corall. iii. p. 306, pl. F 4. 'tigs. 1 a-c. I have referred 13 specimens to this species, the description of which is somewhat vague. The colony is formed of large folia-ceous branches, which generally are very compressed, often being 6-8 cms. wide by about 1 cm. thick at their apices ; they are often, too, considerably ridged on the sides and lobed. The branches are completely covered over the sides and summits by generally considerably appressed verrucae, about 3 mms. high by 2 mms. in diameter, usually about half their diameter distant from one another; on the sides of the branches a few cms. below the summits they are often larger and globose, and at tbe base of the colony very small or completely obliterated. The calices of the verrucae are round, about 1 m m . in diameter ; ou tbe summits of tbe branches, and in places between the verrucae, they are about |