28 A Gutde to the Zoological Collections in the 



MADREPORARIA FUNGIDA. 



[arjts£ 13], 



The majority of the corals of this section are flat 

 mushroom-like forms : the chambers between the sklero- 

 septa (" interseptal loculi ") are always more or less filled 

 up by bars of coral ("dissepiments "), which pass across 

 from septum to septum, and the calice-wall is usually 

 fenestrated or perforated to a certain extent. The Fimgida 

 are divided into five families — two of which, however, are 

 extinct, being known only as fossils. The three living 

 families are the Plesiofiingidse, the Fungidx, and the 

 Lophoseridse. 



1st. The gene/a of the Plesiofungidae are all extinct 

 but one ~Std era iirxa — which lives in the Indian Seas, 

 a specimen being exhibited in Case 13- 



2nd Family Fungidae. — The corals of this family are 

 larcre flat mushroom-shaped disks, with perforated and 

 fenestrated walls; some are simple and some compound. 

 They are well represented in Case 13 by numerous beau- 

 tiful specimens, from the Andaman and Mergui reefs, of 

 the following genera : — Fimgia, Haliglossa, Halomitra 

 {Podobacici), Cryptahacia^ Herpolitha^ Lithactinia. 



3rd Family Lophoseridae. — In this family the calice-wall 

 IS not perforated or fenestrated, and the corals are either 

 simple and small, flat and mushroom-like, or else they are 

 compound, and form spreading encrusting fungus-like cakes. 

 They are well represented in Case 13 by the following 

 genera : — Trochoseris^ Cycloseris, Diaseris, and the beauti- 

 ful Bathyactis from the depths of the Bay of Bengal — all 

 these being small simple forms : and Lophoseris {Pavonio), 

 Leptoseris, Agaricia, Coscinarxa, and Psammocora — 

 which are compound forms. 



MADBEPOKAKIA PERFORATA. 



[Cases 8-12]. 

 In th's section, which includes both small simple corals 

 and huge trec'like colonies, the great distinguishing char- 



