MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 139 



Stephanophyllia folliculus Potjkt. 



Corallum. free, without mark of adherence, purse-shaped, or broader at 

 the base than at the calicle. Costaa broad, granulated, nearly meeting at 

 the apex, the primary ones continuous, the tertiaries uniting with the 

 secondaries. Intercostal furrows narrow. Calicle circular or subhexagonal, 

 slightly concave. Septa in six complete systems of three cycles, covered 

 with large papillaj, not exsert. The primaries and secondaries meet in the 

 centre with each other, and with an indistinct columella; the tertiaries con- 

 nect with the secondaries at about half the length of the radius. 



Height 0.12, diameter of calicle 10, diameter of base 0.11 of an inch. 

 Dredged in 2.3 7 fathoms oil' the Florida reef. 



I refer this coral, of wh'ch I have but one specimen, to the genus Ste- 

 phanophyllia with some doubt. It has most of the characters of the genus, 

 except the discoid shape. It is, most likely, a very young specimen. 



Diaseris pusilla Podrt. 



Corallum subelliptical, very fragile. Wall flat or slightly concave, imper- 

 forate, very thin, finely costate. Costa? thin, alternatively large and small, 

 finely dentate. The base shows the traces of lobes joined together, often 

 very imperfectly. Septa strongly dentate, 1 iciniate, and perforate, marked 

 with strong ridges and furrows, connected with each other by synapticula 

 near the base. Six unequal systems and five cycles of septa, one or two of the 

 systems generally incomplete. The primary septa more lobed and much 

 higher than the others; those of the lower cycles tending to unite with 

 those of cycles preceding them. Fossa well marked, oblong. Columella 

 rudimentary, in the shape of a narrow ridge. Mouth of the polyp in the 

 shape of a long slit. Color dark brown. Diameter \ an inch. 



Numerous fragments of the living coral were obtained, but it is so fragile 

 that only one was brought up entire. Found in 11!) to 143 fathoms off 

 Sand Key. 



I suspect from some of the fragments the existence of a second species, 

 with more equal, not lobed septa, ami less distinctly costate base, but there 

 is not enough of it for a good description. 



The singular Coral next to be described strikes one at first sight by its 

 resemblance to some of the members of the group of the Rugosa of Milne- 

 Edwards & Ilaime. A closer examination tends to confirm that view, 

 much as it seems improbable to find a living representative of a group so 

 long extinct. In no other division of the corals is the septal apparatus 

 subdivided into systems that are multiples of four; but such is the case in 

 our specimen, though a little obscured by accidental causes. An 

 though perhaps less important, character is the smoothness of the septa, 

 which present neither perforations, nor synapticula, nor granulations 



