REPORT ON THE REEF-CORALS. 23 
Heteropsammia nuchelini, Edw. and H. Turbinaria xqualis, n. sp. 
Balanophyllia elliptica, Tenison- Woods. * patula, Dana. 
a buecina, Tenison- Woods. Porites gaimardi, Edw. and H. 
Madrepora globiceps, Dana (2). Rhodarea calicularis, Lamk. 
Turbinaria peltata, Esper. Montipora exserta, n. sp. 
A cinerascens, Ell. and Sol. Alveopora retusa, Verrill. 
- crater, Pall. Moseleya latistellata, n. sp. 
5. BANDA. 
Thirty six species of True Corals, representing twenty one-genera, were collected. 
“ At the base of the Banda volcano, on the shores of the island, a belt of living Corals 
composed of a considerable variety of species is easily accessible at low tide. Of these 
Corals the largest bulk is composed of massive Astraeids, of which about ten different forms 
were collected. A massive Porites is also very abundant. 
“One species of ‘ Brain-Coral’ and an Astrea form huge masses, often as much as five 
feet in diameter, which have their bases attached to the bare basaltic rock of the shore. . 
The tops of all these coral masses are dead and flat and somewhat decayed, but on these 
dead tops fresh growth is now taking place, showing that shght oscillations in the level 
of the shore of a foot at least have taken place recently. The tops of the Corals have 
been certainly killed by being left exposed above water. 
“Such slight oscillations are to be expected at the base of an active volcano. The 
present regrowth is due to the Corals being now again submerged. The fact that these 
Corals are to be seen growing on the bare rock itself, and not on the débris of older Corals, 
shows that the coral growth is very recent. 
“The Brain-Coral grows in convex, mostly hemispherical masses ; the Astrea more in 
the form of vertically standing cylindrical masses, or masses which may be described as 
made up of a large number of cylinders fused together. The masses of the Astrwa are 
usually higher than those of the ‘ Brain-Coral’ by about a foot, because they are able to 
grow in shallower water, and they thus range also higher up on the beach. 
“ Many of the masses of this Astrea in the shallower water are left dry at each low 
tide, and appear to suffer no more in consequence than do the common sea-anemones of 
our English coasts, which are so closely allied to them. I have not seen any other species 
of Coral thus growing where it is exposed at low tide. The ‘ Brain-Coral’ apparently 
cannot survive exposure, and hence the tips of its masses have been killed during the 
change of depth of the water, at about a foot below the height at which those of the 
Astrea have perished. 
“The common Mushroom Coral, so often to be seen as a chimney ornament in England 
(Fungia sp.), is most extraordinarily abundant on the shore, at a depth of one or two 
