MADREPORARIAN CORALS 49 



formed by the young polyps which have arisen as buds 

 from the peritheca. This is a very important point to 

 grasp if the very difficult and perplexing problems of the 

 classification of the Star-corals are to be understood. For 

 in every modern system of classification great stress is 



Fig. 16. — Galaxea caespitosa, Malay Archipelago. Nat. size. 



laid on the method of asexual reproduction found in the 

 colonies. 



In Galaxea and many others this method of reproduction 

 is by budding or gemmation, and by that particular kind 

 of gemmation which is known as perithecal or intercalicinal 

 gemmation. The particular method of gemmation is not 



E 



