OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 321 



Genus Homophyllia, Bruggemann, 1877, Ann. Nat. Hist., 1877, 



Vol. 20, p. 310. 



Coral neatly turbinate, with a narrow somewhat expanded 

 base ; outside of wall covered almost to the edge with a thin, 

 closely adherent epitheca, through which the costse are distinctly 

 perceptible ; costae crowded, perfectly equal, prominent, minutely 

 denticulate ; calice circular, deep ; septal edges crowded with 

 narrow subequal teeth; columella very small, rounded in outline, 

 closely tubercular. 



The author remarks of this genus that it is established for the 

 reception of Oaryophyllia australis of Milne Edwards. It is dis- 

 tinguished by its scanty endotheca, which makes the calice deep, 

 and the structure of the costse and septa. He observes that if 

 these peculiarities would not justify generic separation it would 

 be necessary to unite all the simple Mussacece into one genus. 



Homophyllia australis, Edw. 8f H. (as Oaryophyllia.) 



Septa moderately prominent, rather thin, uniform in thickness, 

 scabrous from small pointed granules ; systems quite distinct in 

 six cycles, the last incomplete, primary and secondary equal ; 

 teeth much crowded, middle-sized, narrow, straight, rather 

 obtuse, those in the middle generally longest, decreasing towards 

 circumference and centre ; tertiaries narrow, with fewer and 

 longer teeth, fourth cycle similar and not reaching the columella, 

 fifth and sixth cycle half as long and scarcely dentate ; columella 

 much reduced and low, surface subpapillose. Very young speci- 

 mens, 4 to 8 mil. in diameter, are broadly attached and very 

 shortly cylindrical, almost discoid, epitheca present from the 

 beginning. Adult 20 mil. alt., diameter of calice as much as 30. 



Hab. Port Lincoln, Australia, and Chinese Seas ? 



" M. Edwards (says Dr. Bruggeman) has mistaken this coral for 

 the young of a West Indian Isophyllia ; the description of Iso- 

 phyllia australis (Hist. Nat. Cor., vol. 2, p. 375) has nothing to 

 do with the species under consideration. The latter is found 

 growing socially on rocks, and occasionally it happens that two 



