4 THE. VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
No attempt has been made to give an account of the soft parts of the specimens 
which were preserved in spirit ; for, apart from the consideration of want of time in 
which to carry out work of such a protracted nature and of such special difficulty, the 
circumstances and conditions under which the Report was written effectually prevented 
any such attempt being made. These specimens, however, were comparatively few in 
number, and moreover did not form part of the collection which was placed in my hands 
for examination. A systematic examination of them was nevertheless made, and the 
results incorporated in the Report. 
Special attention must be called to the fact that the descriptions of the species apply 
to a specimen in which the calicles are perfect—a remark of much deeper significance ) 
than may appear. Owing to the fragile nature of many of the Corals, and more especially 
of their delicate septa, it is often an extremely difficult matter to prevent fracture of many 
of the parts. This is especially applicable to those species in which the septa are delicate 
and exsert ; and about which there may be an entire misconception owing to injury of 
these parts. In many of the delicate specimens in the collection more or less consider- 
able injury has taken place, which, however, has scarcely affected the more sheltered 
calicles in depressions of the surface or between the branches ; and from these uninjured 
or less injured calicles the descriptions have been framed. A special case may be cited 
with reference to the genus Galaxea, in which species differ from each other notably in 
the exsert nature of the septa and in the prominence of the coste. The degree of 
exsertness of the septa and of the prominence of the costee may be considerably interfered 
with by a small account of friction, and on the most exposed parts of the corallum it will 
in many cases be found that it is impossible to find an accurately shaped calicle. This is 
clearly evidenced in two new species of the genus in the collection, Galaxea aspera, and 
Galaxea fragilis. In the figures that are given of the corallum, natural size, the species 
in each case is represented as it occurs in the collection in its injured state ; the real 
structure, as determined by a close examination of the less injured calicles, is shown 
approximately by a figure of a restored calicle. 
As the number of plates was by request to be limited, only the new forms have been 
figured ; and in nearly every case only a small portion of the corallum, natural size, has 
been represented to show the general character. The description of the species supplies 
the habit of the form ; and to possess the complete figure it is only necessary to amplify 
the portion figured to the stated shape and size. For all essential purposes of identifica- 
tion, the portion figured is believed to be sufficient when taken with the various magnified 
views. Had each new species been figured to show the natural size of a characteristic 
specimen, with the additional magnified details, and had all the previously described 
species, of which no satisfactory figure exists, been also represented, the number of plates 
must have been increased at least tenfold. 
No complete re-descriptions of previously described species are given, but in all cases 
