I40 PAPERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY. 



Stations, Murray Island. — Southeast reef, line I: 



400 feet from shore; water 4.5 to 5 inches deep. 

 600 feet from shore; water 15 inches deep; sandy bottom. 

 650 feet from shore; water 10 inches deep; sandy bottom. 

 800 feet from shore; water, 11 inches deep; hard, rocky bottom. 

 1,000-1,050 feet from shore; water about 14 inches deep at lowest ride; rocky bottom. 

 1,620-1,670 feet from shore (only specimen on the square); water 14 inches deep at lowest tide; hard, 

 rocky bottom. 



The specimen from the square 1,620-1,670 feet from shore is a small capuliform 

 colony, 30 by 38 mm. in diameter; calices 3 to 4 mm. in diameter. 



The generic determination of this coral has greatly perplexed me. The scarcity 

 of synapticulae, the simple intercorallite walls, and reproduction by fission at first 

 inclined me to the opinion that it might be closely related to Goniastrea, but the 

 confluent septa and the general aspect of the corallum are so similar to some of the 

 massive species of Pavona that kinship with the latter genus seemed more probable. 

 Microscopic study of thin sections discovered a few synapticuhe and revealed a 

 skeletal structure similar to Agaricia. Dr. Mayer reports that in life the polyps 

 were so similar to those of Siderastrea that he thought the species belonged to that 

 genus. This observation accords with its reference to the Madreporaria Fungida. 



In my paper on the Hawaiian Madreporaria 1 I have discussed the group of the 

 species of Pavona typified by P. clavus (Dana), to which Cceloseris is closely related, 

 except that it has no columella. C. mayeri somewhat resembles Siderastrea spheroi- 

 dalis Ortmann, 2 but the latter has smaller calices and its columella is composed 

 of 1 or 2 fine papillae. 



Distribution. — Murray Island; southern Philippines (J. B. Steere). The speci- 

 men collected by Mr. Steere is in all respects typical. Its surface is irregularly 

 undulate; size, diameter 152 by 135 mm.; height 125 mm. 



Genus AGARICIA Lamarck. 



1801. Agaricia Lamarck, Syst. Anim. sans Vert., p. 373. 

 1905. Agaricia Vaughan, Science, n. s., vol. 21, p. 984. 



Type species: Madrepora undata Ellis and Solander. 



Agaricia ponderosa Gardiner. 



190;. Agaricia ponderosa Gardiner, Fauna and Geogr. Maldive and Laccadive Arch., vol 2, sup. I, p. 937, 

 plate 89, figs. 1, 2. 



As I have identified an excellent and entirely typical specimen collected by 

 Mr. J. B. Steere in the southern Philippines, it is mentioned because it extends the 

 known geographic range of the species. I share with Professor Gardiner his hesi- 

 tancy in referring the species to Agaricia, but am following his usage. Gardiner's 

 description is excellent. 



Distribution. — Minikoi (Gardiner); southern Philippines (J. B. Steere). 



Genus PSAMMOCORA Dana. 

 1846. Psammocora Dana, U. S. Expl. Exped., Zooph., p. 34. 



Type species: Pavonia obtusangula Lamarck. 



■U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 59, pp. 136, 137, 1907. 



'-'Ortmann, Zool. Jahrb., Abth. fur Syst., vol. 4, p. 496, plate 11, fig. 1, 1889; Gardiner, Fauna and Geogr. 

 Maldive and Laccadive Arch., vol. 2, sup. I, p. 936, plate 89, fig. 4. 



