MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 115 



Crypthelia Peircei Pocrt. 



Corallum arborescent and subflabellate, irregularly dichotomous, slen- 

 der, finely striated. Calicles subpedicellate, always of a larger diameter 

 than the stem, facing to one side only of the corallum. Septa 12 to 16, 

 thick, not extending far into the calicle. Columella not seen. The lower 

 border of the calicle prolonged into a rounded lip folded over so as to hide 

 the fossa. Some of the calicles are inflated and globular, perhaps from the 

 presence of parasites. Size: \ an inch long (broken), diameter of stem 

 from J^ to 5L of an inch, of the calicles ^ to -fa. 



This very pretty coral was dredged off Havana in 2 70 fathoms, but ap- 

 pears to be rather rare, only a few small fragments being obtained. It 

 differs from the species described by Milne-Edwards in having a smaller 

 lip. hiding only the fossa of the calicle. whilst in the species from the Pa- 

 cific the lip is as large as the whole calicle. I have also found worn frag- 

 ments in a specimen of bottom from 600 fathoms in lat. 31° 32' N., and 

 long. 78° 20' W. 



Stylaster eomplanatus Potjrt. 



Corallum branching, flabellate, not coalescing, slender. Calicles termi- 

 nal, pedicellate : gemmating from the edge of the preceding calicle. gen- 

 erally on alternate sides, so as to give a zigzag form to the branch, but 

 sometimes two or even three new corallites rise from the border of one. 

 They arc directed slightly more towards one side of the plane of the coral- 

 lum than the other. Calicles compressed in the same plane, moderately 

 deep, the styliform columella appearing at the bottom rising out of a small 

 round t'ossa, and surrounded by rudimentary pali. Septa 12. appearing 

 like folds of the wall, not extending far into the calicle, and punctured 

 with small pores on the edge. When the branch rising out of a calicle 

 increases in size, the calicle becomes hidden by the plicated lip raised 

 again-t the -tern, and at length becomes obsolete. Spiny ampulla? scattered 

 along the stems, more abundantly on the rear side. It is white, about l£ 

 inches high; the diameter of the calicles about -fa of an inch. 



Obtained in 270 fathoms off Havana. 



It approaches nearly to Stylaster elegans Ditch, and Mich., which has 

 however nearly circular calicles with shorter pedicles and thicker branches. 

 (The name St. elegans has been anticipated by Verrill for a species from 

 the Ivingsmill Islands, in Bull. Mus. Comp. Zodl., Cambridge, 18G I ; I would 

 -jropose therefore the name of St. Duchassaingii for the species from Gua- 

 daloupe.) From Allopora maderemis Johnson, to which it is very closely 

 allied, it differs also by the compressed form of the calicles. 



By its scale-like lip hiding the fossa in -the older calicles, and by its 

 transversely elongated terminal calicles, this species forms a passage to the 



