64 MADREPORARIA. 
The walls are low, and composed of a rather close flaky reticulum, the flakes being mostly 
horizontal and broad, with few pores; the knobs and ridges rising from the surface of the flakes 
are often frosted at their tips, as are also the edges of the flakes where they project as septa into 
the calicle. These ridges on the wall flakes are as a rule quite irregular, but sometimes they are 
radially arranged, though the septa do not show any marked radial symmetry. The pali form 
a large open ring: the full number (eight) can often be seen. A central tubercle rises nearly to 
the height of the pali. A columellar ring can sometimes be seen, but many of the calicles 
are very shallow, and their fossz seem early to be closed up by flakes with few pores. Round 
the edges of the stock it is noticeable that the directive plane tends to point towards the 
growing edge. 
This coral was classed with P. Fiji Islands 24 by Mr. Gardiner as of the same species, and 
certainly the calicles are constructed on the same plan, and the differences may all be 
unessential. But the simple facts are, that the Funafuti coral forms a thin freely-projecting 
ear-shaped stock, with edges curling up, while the Rotumah coral thickens in the centre and 
rises into mammillz, and, further, the calicles differ, as shown in the figures. How far we 
should be justified in assuming the genetic affinity of the two corals, so long as we have no 
more material evidence, seems to depend upon the locality of the un-labelled fragment mentioned 
above (see P. yz Islands 24). As there stated, in structure it might be almost a fragment of 
the Rotumah coral, but Mr. Gardiner’s text appears to imply that it comes from Funafuti. 
(See further under P. Fiji Islands 24, specimens a and 0.) 
a. Zool. Dept. 1905. 1. 19, 14. 
41. Porites Ellice Islands q7Q. (P. Llliciana secunda.) (PI. V. fig. 3; Pl. XIII. fig. 15.) 
[Funafuti, 7 fathoms, coll. J. 8. Gardiner ; Cambridge University Museum. ] 
Syn. Porites superfusa Gardiner, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1898) p. 274, pl. xxiv., figs. 1, m, 7. 
Description—The corallum is explanate, and loosely encrusts the layers built up by 
previous growths. The edges are about 1 mm. thick, here and there free. The upper surface 
is roughened by the development of ccenenchymatous knobs, ridges, and large irregular smooth- 
topped plateaux, 1 to 1-5 mm. high. 
The calicles are small, about 1 mm. in diameter and less ; between the ridges and plateaux 
they are densely crowded, and their walls then consist of single loose rows of thin trabecule ; 
but on the plateaux they are nearly 1 mm. apart and sharply sunk, like pits, into the ccenenchyma. 
These wall-plateaux are remarkable for the fineness and continuity of the surface reticulum, 
which is covered with minute, erect granules. Between scattered calicles, on these level 
plateaux, young buds in all stages of development pit the surface. The septa are deep down 
and obscure, but the pali are very conspicuous as an open ring of tall, tapering, well-spaced 
rods rising to the level of the plateaux. There are six—five very large—principals, with one 
minute palus on the dorsal directive ; this regularity of the palic formula shows that the septa 
are arranged typically. The fossa is frequently occupied by a columellar tubercle. In vertical 
