OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 339 



Genus Heteropsammia, Ed. 8f H., 1848. 

 Corallum simple, straight, fixed in a univalve shell which it 

 completely envelopes continuing to grow at the base during life- 

 time ; no epitheca ; no costa?, but the exterior surface covered 

 with fine stria? and closely marked with short twisted vermiform 

 ridges composed of crowded granules ; columella spongy and well 

 developed ; septa thickened exteriorly and spongy. 



Heteropsammia michelini, Ed. 8f H. 

 This coral is very short and has a large rounded swollen base, 

 much larger than the calice which is a figure of 8. Specimens 

 of doubtful locality have been brought to me. I am sure, however, 

 that it occurs within the tropics of N.E. Australia, and of much 

 larger size than the specimen figured by Milne Edwards, being 

 as much as 20 mill, high, 25 long, and 20 broad. 



Heteropsammia elliptica. n. s. PI. 6, figs. 3, a, b. 

 Corallum approaching cylindrical, sloping somewhat towards 

 the base which is very wide and encrusted with serpulae, polyzoa/ 

 &c, so that the enclosed shell is not visible ; no epitheca, but the 

 surface densly covered with fine points or elongated granules, the 

 irregular lines between which are somewhat wider than in the 

 last species, the lines of the septa and the spongy texture is only 

 seen near the calice but the whole surface is visibly perforated and 

 velvety ; calice elliptical, the sides of the long axis parallel, the 

 short sides rounded, wall spongy and thick, principal septa con- 

 spicuously exsert ; fossa one-third depth of columella, at the base 

 on which the loose spongy broad columella is very visible ; septa 

 in six systems of five cycles, the 6th and 7th orders bending 

 towards one another in all the systems, not uniting, but curving 

 a little back ere uniting with the columella ; these orders are 

 thin and much expanded at the base of the fossa ; the primaries 

 and secondaries of equal thickness and expansion throughout ; 

 above they are the most conspicuous orders, but below the 6th 

 and 7th. quite eclipse them ; tertiaries but little distinguished ; 

 4th and 5th orders very inconspicuous, all faintly granular, ridged 

 and serrated at the edge. Alt. 28, maj. axis 21, min, 13, depth 

 of fossa 9. 



