20 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
Alveopora spongiosa, Dana. Dichorea boletiformis, Ten.-Woods. 
Synarea informs, Dana. Millepora gonagra, Edw. and H. 
« danz, Edw. and H. 5 tortuosa, Dana. 
5 monticulosa, Dana. my platyphylla, Ehre. 
Goniopora columna, Dana. i truncata, Dana. 
3. Api, New Hepripes. 
Ten species of True Corals, representing seven genera, were collected at Api 
namely :— 
Pocillopora brevicornis, Lamk. Madrepora pocillifera, Lamk. 
Goniastrea laxa, 1. sp. - minima, n. sp. 
Cyphastrea aspera, i. sp. Porites tenuis, Verrill. 
Pavonia decussata, Dana. Montipora grandifolia, Dana. 
Madrepora millepora, Ehrg. Porites parvistellata, n. sp. 
This is the first record of any collection of Reef-Corals from this locality. The con- 
ditions under which the forms grow seem to be unfavourable to their full development, 
and it is probable that the species which are to be found there are but few in number—a 
marked contrast to their remarkable abundance in the neighbouring Fijian Islands. 
With reference to the Corals of Api, Professor Moseley writes ‘“‘almost everywhere 
the living Corals are growing only laterally, the upper surfaces being dead from want of 
sufficient depth of water. In some small specimens of a massive Porites, the consequent 
flattening of the top and expansion of the lateral dimensions was most excellently shown 
in pieces convenient for museum purposes. 
“The Corals, which were few in number of species, were finer grown towards the 
verge of the reef, as is always the case on shore platforms, the very opposite condition 
to that which holds in the case of barrier reefs. In some places were deep holes in the 
coral platform, reminding one of glacier crevasses on a small scale, evidently arising 
from the loose nature of the sloping beach on which the coral structure here rests. 
“A massive Porites was one of the Corals on the reef. Some specimens of this 
species were unattached, though hving, being in the form of rounded masses, entirely 
covered by living polyps, and I suppose from time to time rolled over by the waves.” * 
Of the ten species which were collected, the following four are new :— 
Gonastrea laxa. Madrepora minima. 
Cyphastrea aspera. Porites parvistellata. 
1 Notes by a Naturalist on the Challenger, p. 343. 
