POLYNESIAN PORITES. 77 
53. Porites Ellice Islands q714, (P. Elliciana quartadecima.) (Pl. VII. fig. 6; 
Pl. XIV. figs. 2, 3.) 
[Funafuti (lagoon), coll. J. S. Gardiner; British Museum. | 
Syn. Porites arenosa var. parvicellata Gardiner, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1898) p. 274. 
Description —The corallum is massive ; the complete form is unknown. The upper surface, 
which seems to have been compressed as a ridge, is crossed transversely by smooth short waves. 
The living layer extends only 2 cm. down the sides. 
The calicles are 0°85 mm. in diameter nearly, flush with the surface, angular in the valleys, 
sub-circular on the wave-crests. The wall-ridge is thin and straight round the angular calicles, 
thicker and zigzag round those which are subcircular ; it is porous and sometimes with ragged, 
sometimes with denticulate, edges, the denticles being square-topped ; they are the flattened tips 
of trabeculae. The thickening of the wall in the angles of the round calicles seems to be due to 
the presence of large septal granules, which sometimes run together to form parts of an inner 
wall. These septal granules often project just below the edge of the wall-ridge, while below 
them again, short, very thin septa, interrupted, angularly bent, and slightly frosted, meet to form 
the typical pali system. The whole circle of eight pali is usually present, but only the four 
principals, which are often V-shaped, are conspicuous. The fossa is large but very incon- 
spicuous ; the columellar tubercle is minute, thin and flattened, and the floor appears to be solid. 
In section the trabecule are thick and close, with short thick junctions. 
Mr. Gardiner describes this Porites as being in life of a golden green colour, and common 
on all the shoals in the lagoon at Funafuti, but never uncovered by the tide. It has again the 
same type of calicle as the last two forms described, but much smaller. All three have the V- 
shaped pali; they are clearly shown in Pl. VII. figs. 2-6. 
The specimen appears as if it had been a massive stock with a deep furrow across it, and 
was then fractured along this furrow. The half which represents the specimen is thus a single 
ridge (the face of the old fracture is shaded in fig. 23 6, Pl. XIIL), and the ridge formation has 
appeared transversely along its top. Fig. 23 a shows the original outside of the stock. 
a, Zool. Dept. 1904. 10, 17. 34. 
54. Porites Ellice Islands gyl5, (P. LElliciana quintadecima.) (PI. VII. fig. 7.) 
[Funafuti, 7 fathoms, coll. J. S. Gardiner; Cambridge University Museum. ] 
Description.—The corallum forms small, smooth, rounded mounds, with adherent edges 
and rapidly thickening centre. A colony 2°5 cm. in diameter is 0°75 cm. thick. Successive 
layers of these small mounds apparently build up a nodulated coral crust. 
The calicles are about 1:2 mm. in diameter; circular, but without sharp outline and flush 
with the surface. The walls are irregularly thick, flat-topped, or slightly rounded ; they consist 
