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Show 742 MR. J. STANLEY GARDINER ON [June 6, spreading masses, 3-5 feet in diameter, small colonies only being found on the reef. Specimens a, b, c, and d. The specimen " a " is a small hemispherical colony from the boat-channel, 7 era. across by 5 cm. high. Its calices are generally circumscribed, the longest series being 2 cm. The theca is very thin, except in a few calices near one edge, and tbe columella is represented only by a few spines in the valleys. Breadth of the valleys 5 m m . ; depth of same 4-5 m m . Septa, 10 in 1 cm.; tertiaries seldom present. " b" is the peripheral growing-part of a large mass from the boat-channel, of which the greater part has been killed. The calices are seldom circumscribed, and the series vary up to 5 cm. in length. The theca is very thin, and the columella is very small, with a few spines on its surface. Breadth of the valleys 5 mm.; depth of same 4-5 m m . Septa, 12-13 in 1 cm. (Plate XLVI. fig. 1.) " c " is a small colony, similar and nearly equal in size to " a, from the edge of the reef. The calices form convoluted series about 2 cm. long. The theca is commonly about 1*5 m m . thick, and the columella is often of the same breadth, being formed of coarse trabeculae. Breadth of the valleys 6-7 m m . ; depth of same 4 m m . Septa, 11 in 1 era. " d" is a colony 12 cm. long by 6 cm. broad by 5 cm. high, from the reef-flat. The calices generally form linear series up to 3 cm. long. The theca is 1-3 m m . in thickness, and the columella is about 1*5 m m . broad, formed of almost spongy trabeculae. Breadth of the valleys 6-7 m m . ; depth of same 5-6 m m . Septa, 11-12 in 1 cm. (Plate X L V I . fig. 2.) 2. COJ:LORIA SINENSIS Milne-Edwards & Haime. (Plate XLVI. fig. 3.) Astroria sinensis, Milne-Edwards & Haime, Ann. des Sc. Nat. ser. 3, xi. p. 298 (1849). Cceloria sinensis, Milne-Edwards & Haime, Cor. ii. p. 416 (1857). This species has the same mode of growth as C. dcedalea, but may be distinguished from it by its thinner and more perfect theca and smaller dimensions. The calices vary in a similar manner to those of C. dcedalea. The septa are very fine, seldom more than 1 m m . exsert, almost flat-topped, with vertical edges and fine denticulations. Three cycles of septa are present, of which the primary and secondary fuse with the columella. The latter is feebly developed, covered on the surface with a row of small, fine, irregular spines, and formed by fine trabeculae from the septal edges, never forming a plate as in 0. dcedalea. Breadth of the valleys 4-5 mm.; depth of the same 3-4*5 m m . Septa, 13-15 in 1 cm. Funafuti; two specimens-the one a round mass, 16 cm. in diameter, with narrow much-eroded stem, obtained by the use of Priestman's grab from 7 fathoms, outside the reef, and the other the edge of a spreading mass from a lagoon-reef. |
