48 MADREPORARIA. 
27. Madrepora multicaulis. (Plate III.) 
Corallum bushy-arborescent, forming broad, much-divided clumps 40 cm. wide or more 
and 23 cm. high. Branches 15 to 18 cm. long and about 1°8 cm. thick at the base, much 
divided, especially near the apex, which is usually divided into 3 to 7 radiating branchlets 
1 em. thick, most of which are again divided and proliferous. Axial corallites 3 to 4°55 mm. 
diameter, but usually 4 mm. or nearly so, and not much exsert ; wall very thick and porous. 
Radial corallites on the distal divisions ascending, dimidiate, the majority subequal, but with 
a few small between, length 3 mm., diameter 1°5 mm., wall a little thickened but very porous ; 
a variable number, chiefly near the apex, are thicker and bear buds. On the middle sections 
of the branches the prominent corallites are rather distant, short, thick, nariform, often 
2-5 mm. wide, with subimmersed ones scattered between ; nearer the base all are small and 
immersed or subimmersed. Star distinct in the prominent corallites, the directive septa 
broad ; in the immersed corallites the directive septa are scarcely more prominent than the 
others. Corallum very porous ; surface spongy above, evenly reticulate below ; wall striato- 
reticulate and echinulate. 
Indian Ocean : Ramesvaram. 
a, 6. Ramesvaram. Madras Museum. 88. 11. 25.10 & 93. 4. 7.151. (Types.) 
b. Corallum massive, more or less complanate, with numerous labellate corallites. 
28. Madrepora ehrenbergi. 
Madrepora ehrenbergii, M.-Edwards & Haime (non B.-Smith), Coralliaires, t. iii. p. 143. 
Madrepora scandens, Klunzinger, Korallenth. d. roth. Meeres, Th. ii. p. 26, pl. ii. fig. 6, pl. iv. fig. 3, 
pl. ix. fig. 21; Ortmann, Zool. JB. 1888, Bd. ii. p. 150. 
The following is a description of the type of M.-Edwards in the Paris Museum :— 
Corallum erect, forming a confused arborescent clump with frequent fusions. Branches 
about 1:2 cm. thick, bearing branchlets at an angle of about 45°, frequently opposite, and 
8 mm. diameter near the apex. Axial corallites probably 2 to 2°5 mm. diameter and 2 mm. 
exsert. Radial corallites at an angle of 45°, or wider in the case of the larger ones. About 
one third are cylindrical with an oblique aperture, 4 mm. long and 15 mm. diameter; the 
remainder are shorter and smaller, nariform to subimmersed. Some distance below the 
apex the larger corallites become thickened, the aperture is less oblique, and they bear 2 or 3 
small bud-corallites; this condition indicates the transition to independent branchlets. 
Corallum stony, little perforate ; surface echinulate, not reticulate ; wall striato-echinulate. 
A fine fan-shaped specimen in the collection of the British Museum, 70 cm. wide and 
60 cm. high, is intermediate in form between the type and M. scandens, Klunz. The main 
branches are 4 cm. thick at the base and clothed with short spreading tubular corallites 
at the back, which extend about halfway up the corallum. Near the upper extremity there 
are almost as many branchlets and prominent corallites on the posterior as on the anterior 
