36 SCHIZOCYATHUS FISSILIS. 



spines are either entirely white or only slightly colored. The pali and colu- 

 mella are generally white, but if somewhat colored the primary parts are 

 darkest. One specimen is perfectly white with dark spines. 



A few specimens were dredged by Dr. Stimpson in 413-424 fathoms in 

 the straits of Yucatan, and off the west coast of Florida in 100 fathoms ; all 

 of the spineless variety. He found again, as I had before, the two varieties 

 off Havana in 270 fathoms. 



Several broken specimens which have continued to live and modified their 

 shape slightly quite agree with the fossils on which Philippi has based his 

 genus Ecmesus. 



SCHIZOCYATHUS n. g. 



Corallum simple, without epitheca or costa3 ; no columella ; pali in front of 

 the last cycle, united in front of the penultimate ; propagating by internal 

 gemmation. 



Schizocyathxis fissilis n. sp. 



Fl. VI. Jigs. 12, 13. 



Corallum long, conical, almost cylindrical, smooth, marked outside by lines 

 corresponding to the primary septa and by rows of dots corresponding to the 

 interseptal chambers ; the secondary and tertiary septa show no mark out- 

 side. Calicle circular, wall thin, fossa moderately deep. Septa not exsert, 

 very little granulated, in six systems and three cycles. Primary septa almost 

 rudimentary, secondary ones largest, those of the third cycle intimately united 

 with a sort of pali which also unite completely in front of the secondary 

 septa; the interior of the coral is thus divided into a number of chambers 

 entirely separated from each other, consisting of the interseptal chambers 

 between the secondary and tertiary septa, sometimes united in pairs in front 

 of the secondaries, but more commonly entirely separated by the union of 

 the secondaries with the symphysis of the pali. Another cavity is the cen- 

 tral star-shaped one representing the space which would be filled w^ by the 

 primary septa if fully developed. All these cavities are, however, extremely 

 narrow. 



The propagation is carried out by budding inside the calicle, generally on 

 the secondary septa. By the growth of the bud the parent is split along the 

 lines marking the primary septa, and a strip comprising one or rarely two 



