782 J. STANLEY GARDINER. 



XVI. Genus Echinopora. 



Dana, p. 278. Ed. and H., ii. p. 621. Klz., p. 54. 



A genus closely allied to Trachypora (syn. Echinophyllia), which has been generally 

 confused with it. No specimens come fi-om Minikoi. E. rosularia is alone abundant, but it 

 is very local and scarcely a reef-builder. 



49. Echinopora rosularia (Lmk.). (PL LXIII. fig. 37.) Ed. and H., li. p. 623. 



50. Echinopora solidior (Ed. and H.). (PI. LXIII. fig. 38.) Ed. and H., ii. p. 626. 



51. Echinopora tertia, n. sp. (PI. LXIII. fig. 39.) 



The three above-mentioned species are evidently so closely allied that it seems most 

 useful to represent their characters in tabular form (p. 781). They are fi-om the same locality 

 and also environment, but I cannot see that they show any signs of merging into one another. 

 One is naturally inclined to suspect a relationship to Klunzinger's 3 species from the Red Sea 

 E. ehrenbergi, concamerata and carduus, but, if the characters of these forms be tabulated 

 and compared with the above, the whole six would appear to be different. 



Doubtless all the three forms gi-ow into the same shape under favourable conditions, 

 incrusting base rising into flat or rounded folia, on one side covered with poljiJs, but 

 occasionally foHa fusing so that both sides may appear to be so. The calices on the folia 

 often have their lower edges higher, where also the costae are more marked and longer spined 

 than on the incrusting base ; otherwise variation is very slight and mostly vegetative. Increase 

 takes place as in other Echinopora. 



52. Echinopora magna, n. sp. (PL LX. fig. 10.) 



Colony foliate, epitheca thin, underside covered with rounded, radiating ridges, 8 in 1 cm. 

 Calices round, 7 — 9 mm. in diameter, lower sides much raised on folia so that the whole 

 opens upwards. Costae large and very thick alternating with much smaller and finer; the 

 larger with a few broad, blunt, low spines, at the lower edge of the calices much thicker 

 and with two or three blunt spines or lobes, 2—3 mm. long. Septa very thick, especially 

 at lower edges of calices, thin inside, about 12 subequal with often near their lower ends 

 two or three pointed teeth alternating with very small ones, coiTesponding to the smaller 

 series of costae. Columella about \ breadth of calice, rising little below level of theca, 

 appearing finely paliform, really somewhat spongy and formed of trabeculae fi-om half of 

 the .septa. In section exo- and endothecal dissepiments more or less horizontal, thick or thin, 

 somewhat vesicular, 1 — 2 mm. apart. 



The specimen is merely part of the foliated edge of a much larger colony. It appears 

 to be a true Echinopora, approaching the so-called E. aspera which is, according to Klunzinger, 

 a Trachypora (Fungidae). 



Locality. S. Nilandu, 30 /. 



XVII. Genus Galaxea. 



The genus is mainly interesting from the fact that of the fourteen specimens obtained 

 nine were dredged from various depths do^^^l to 36 /., outer slope and lagoon. Among Maldivan 

 reef forms the genus is rare. 



