SOLITARY CORALS. 203 



Diaseris freycineti, M. Edwards and Haime (37). 



A number of petaloid fragments from the Gulf of Manaar and from off Kaltura 

 appear to belong to this species. As described by M. Edwards and Haime, the septa 

 are of less height, much more closely packed, and have thicker edges than in D. distorta. 

 I may add that all the septa are more or less fenestrate. The spirit specimens are of 

 a rich red-brown colour, the upper surface exhibiting black spots near the inner ends 

 of the septa. These spots probably indicate the position of the tentacles, but the 

 specimens are so contracted that 1 cannot speak with certainty on this point.* 



Family : EUPSAMMIID.E. 



As Semper has remarked (49, p. 256), the difficulty of determining the species and 

 even the genera of the Eupsammiidse is very great. In order to relieve himself of the 

 difficulty, he founded the genus Khodopsammia to include his Philippine specimens, 

 and the genus has been accepted by most subsequent authors, even by Duncan in 

 his critical revision of the genera of the Madreporaria, and this in spite of the fact 

 that, as I shall show, Semper's genus was confessedly provisional. 



Semper's definition of the genus Khodopsammia runs as follows: " Polypary 

 simple or with lateral buds, free or attached, sometimes cylindro-conical, sometimes 

 compressed (not, as Duncan gives it, ' Corallum simple or colonial, free or attached, 

 with lateral buds'). Epitheca absent or rudimentary. Costa? simple, visible from 

 the base upwards, similar, thickly granulated. Calicular fossa rather deep, with a 

 more or less prominent columella consisting of curled leaflets (aus gewundenen 

 Blattchen). The septa narrow, with sharp edges, scarcely rising above the lip of the 

 calice ; those of the first cycles equal, extending right down to the columella ; those 

 of the third cycle smaller, and also united to the columella ; the septa of the remain- 

 ing often irregular cycles much narrower and invariably united to those of the 

 preceding cycle." 



This definition differs from M. Edwards and Haime's description of any genus of 

 Eupsammiidae, as it includes both single and compound, free and attached, forms, but 

 it embraces all members of the genera Eupsammia, Balanophyllia, Leptopsammia, 

 and Endosammia, and possibly some species of the genus Dendrophyllia as defined 

 by the authors of the ' Histoire Naturelle des Coralliaires,' and it is quite clear, from 

 what Semper says, that he meant at least the first four of these genera to be included 

 in his new genus. Thus (lot: cit., p. 256) he says: " Da mir nun leider das fossile 

 Material fehlt, welches nothig ware, urn diese Iucongruenzeu grundlich ausgleichen zu 

 konnen, so ziehe ich es vor, hier die von mir bei Bohol aufgefundenen 8 Arten ohne 



* Professor Hekdman 's "Field-notes' contain the following colour record of this species when .alive: 

 Station XLIII., off Kaltura, 22 fathoms, " also a living group of four ' flabellums ' having upper side dark 

 purple on the outer margin and dark green within, mottled with paler yellowish-green, grey, and deep 

 drab-purple, the septa especially being of the latter colour the under side is white." The accompanying 

 sketches show that the Coral is a Diast ris, 



2 D 2 



