CORALS FROM MURRAY, COCOS-KEELING, AND FANNING ISLANDS. Ill 



dentations are not prominent, but within the calices, just below the top of the wall, are 

 usually one or two prominent pointed teeth, below which are shorter teeth, and near the 

 columella are longer teeth. The last may simulate a palar crown around the columella. The 

 septal dentation constitutes one of the peculiar features of the species. Granulations on 

 the septal faces very small, conical. 



Columella slightly depressed below the paliform teeth, well-developed, spongy, about 

 one-third the diameter of the calicular cavity. 



Reproduction by marginal fission. 



Specimen B has smaller calices than A, ranging from 1 1 by 9 mm. down to 7.5 mm. in a 

 mature calice; walls up to 3.5 mm. wide. In other characters the specimens are similar. 



(2) One specimen, southeast reef, line I, 1,600 feet from shore (plate 41, fig. 1). This 

 specimen has smaller calices than (1), and the walls are not so thick. Diameter of adult 

 calices 7.5 to 9 mm.; thickness of intercorallite walls, 1.5 to 2.5 mm. Otherwise it is similar 

 toBof(i). 



(3) Two specimens (plate 41, fig. 3), 1,600 feet from shore, have calices larger, up to 

 12 by 15.5 mm. in diameter, and deeper, depth 7 to 8 mm., wider intercorallite areas, up to 

 4 or 5 mm. across; less prominent dentations on the part of the septal margins just below 

 the upper edge of the wall; upper part of the septa narrower with steeper edges; larger septal 

 groups formed by the fusion of the higher with lower cycles. 



Some specimens of F. halicora have a most perplexing resemblance to some 

 specimens of F. abdita (compare plate 40, fig. 4, with plate 41, fig. 2), as Matthai 

 has pointed out. Usually the prominent septal dentations just within the calices 

 of trie former are a good discriminatory character. 



Stations, Murray Island. — Southeast reef, line I, at 1,400 feet from shore; 

 depth 9 inches; bottom hard, rocky. Also at 1,600 feet from shore; depth 10 inches. 



Distribution. — Red Sea; Maldives; Murray Island; Fanning Island (Carl 

 Elschner). This is another widely distributed Indo-Pacific species. 



Favites virens (Dana). 



Plate 41, figure 4, Dana's type of Astraa virens; figure 5, specimen from Murray Island. Also plate 16, figure 28, 



of Dr. Mayer's article. 



1846. Astraa virens Dana, U. S. Expl. Exped., Zooph., p. 228, plate 11, figs. 8, Sa-8d. 



1914. Favia vasta Matthai, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 2d ser., Zool., vol. 17, p. 10S, plate 27, figs. 3,5,6. 



The type of Astra: a virens Dana (No. 26, U. S. Nat. Mus., plate 41, fig. 4) is so 

 similar to Klunzinger's figure (plate 4, fig. 2) of Goniastraa halicora that it might have 

 served as the original. There are no differences to be indicated. According to 

 Matthai this figure of Klunzinger represents "Favia" vasta. Therefore, if Matthai's 

 synonymy is correct, the species name proposed by Dana must be accepted. 



The following is a description of the Murray Island specimen: 



Corallum represented by a fragment, upper surface curved, with a free edge projecting 

 about 2 cm. 



Calices up to 25 mm. long by 14 mm. wide; up to 2.5 mm. deep. Wall ot adjacent 

 corallites fused, from very thin up to 2 mm. thick. 



Septa slightly thickened in the wall, rather thin within the calice; those of adjacent 

 corallites continuous across the wall, with only slightly exsert margins, about 1 mm.; inter- 

 septal loculi open; margins sloping or with upper two-thirds narrow and almost vertical. 

 In large calice, 25 by 14 mm. in diameter, about 30 septa reach the columella, about 12 fuse 

 near the columella to the sides of the longer, 2 reach about half-way to the columella, and 

 have free edges; regularly alternating with the 44 longer are as many smaller septa. Septal 

 groups frequent, as many as 5 in a group. In smaller calices, about 25 septa reach the colu- 

 mella. Dentation of margins, rather regular, serrate, and smaller over the wall than within 

 the calice; within the calice, fairly regular, 3 to 10 in number, slender or rounded on the end, 

 somewhat increasing in prominence toward the columella. Broad paliform lobes surround 

 the columella. Septal faces with minute, conical granulations. 



Columella depressed, well-developed, composed of closely twisted trabecular, diameter 

 about one-quarter that of a calice. 



Reproduction by marginal fission. 



