94 PAPERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY. 



Leptastrea transversa Klunzinger. 



Plate 31, figures I, \a, specimen from Fanning Island. 



[879. Lcptastraa transvei fa Klunzinger, Korall. Roth. Meer., pt. 3, p. 46, plate 6, fig. 2. 



1914. Leptastrea roissyana (pais) Matthai, Trans. Linn Soc. London, 2d ser., Zool., vol. 17, p. 67. 



As Leptastrea transversa and L. roissyana have been discussed on page 92, while 

 considering L. purpurea, they need only mention in this place. It is my belief that 

 L. roissyana M. Edw. and H. is not the same as L. transversa. Astrcea pttlchra Dana 

 resembles L. transversa, but differs by having obvious dentations on the margins of 

 the higher cycles of septa and by having the last cycle of septa more developed. 



Mr. Carl Elschner collected L. transversa at Fanning Island, and the illustra- 

 tions on plate 31, figures I, la, represent it. 



Distribution. — Red Sea (Klunzinger and others); Minikoi (Gardiner, specimen 

 in U. S. Nat. Mus.); Fanning Island (C. Elschner). 



Leptastrea bottse (Milne Edwards and Haime). 



Plate 31, figures 3, 4, of specimens from Cocos-Keeling Islands. 



1S49. Cyphastrta? botta Milne Edwards and Haime, Ann. Sci. nat., 3d ser., Zool., vol. 12, p. 1 15 (Aug. 1849J. 

 1849. Baryastrea solida Milne Edwards and Haime, Ann. Sci. nat., 3d ser., Zool., vol. 12, p. 144 [Sept. 1849]. 

 1879. Leplastraabotta Klunzinger, Korall. Roth. Meer., pt. 3, p. 44, plate 5, fig. 9; plate 10, figs. 13a, 136. 

 1879 Leplasiraa ina-qualis Klunzinger, Korall. Roth. Meer., pt. 3, p. 45, plate 5, fig. 6. 

 1907. Orbicclla (Leptastrea) inczqualis Vaughan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 32, p. 252. 

 1907. Orbicclla (Leptastrea) botta- Vaughan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 32, p. 252. 

 1907. Leptastrea agarWsiVaughan, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 59. P- i°'> p' a te 25, figs. 2, 2a, 3, 3a. 

 1907. Leptastrea hawaiiensis Vaughan, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 59, p. 102, plate 25, figs. 1, \a. 

 1914. Leptastrea solida Matthai, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 2d ser., Zool., vol. 17, p. 69, plate 17, figs. 8, 9; 

 plate 18, figs. 3-6 and 8; plate 19, figs. 5, 6. 



As this species has been described in considerable detail by Matthai, another 

 description appears unnecessary; however, the name to be applied must be consid- 

 ered. Matthai selected solida as the specific name, from Baryastrea solida Milne 

 Edwards and Haime, basing his identification on their figure and description. 

 Matthai identifies the figured type of Milne Edwards and Haime's Cyphastrea? 

 bottce with this species, but rejects the name because (apparently) they specifically 

 confused a specimen considered by him as "most probably C. serailia." Of course 

 such a misidentification in no way affects the validity of the species-name based 

 on a figured specimen, and if Cyphastrea? botta: is really this species it should be 

 the name. 1 Matthai figures the calicesof the type (op.cit., plate 1 8, fig., 8) and makes 

 a few notes. His figure represents typical L. bottce, which was correctly identified 

 by Klunzinger. 



Matthai questionably refers Cyphastrea oblita Duchassaing and Michelotti to 

 the synonymy of his Leptastrea solida. I have studied the specimen labeled Cyphas- 

 trea oblita D. and M. in the museum at Turin, have described the specimen so labeled 

 in the museum at Paris, and Dr. Charles Gravier has sent me an excellent photo- 

 graph of the latter specimen. The Turin specimen is a small-calicled variant of 

 Orbicella annularis, and is the same as the Ileliastreea stellulata of Milne Edwards 

 and Haime, of which I have a description, written in Paris, and of which Dr. 

 Gravier has sent me three photographs, a general view, natural size, calices X4, 

 and longitudinal section X4. The Paris specimen, which seems to be the type 

 of Cyphastrea oblita, is the same as Solenastrea bournoni M. Edw. and H., which is 

 closely related to Solenastrea hyades (Dana). 2 These are common West Indian corals 

 and are only remotely related to Pacific species. 



■Klunzinger in 1879, as noted on p. 90 of the present paper, had eliminated the true Cyphastrea, should 

 Milne Edwards and Haime really have confused forms in founding the species. 



'See p. 88 of this memoir for discussion of these species, and U. S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 

 9S-T, for descriptions and illustrations. 



