REPORT ON CORALS—DEEP-SEA MADREPORARIA. $9 
septum, curved lines of septal matter are formed which are fused by short, transverse, 
synapticular lamin to the primary septa, at points very near the centres of the lengths 
of each of these. Thus is brought about the peculiar arrangement which forms the most 
striking feature presented by the adult coral, and which consists in the presence around 
the elongate columella of six symmetrically arranged oval hollow spaces, each of which is 
enclosed by a loop-like lamina, as it were, of hard tissue, and bisected longitudinally by 
the inner end of the palus of the corresponding primary septum. 
Shows the arrangement of the septa in the adult and young Stephanophyllia complicata. The specimens were taken 
September 26, 1874, in 129 fathoms, off the Ki Islands. 
A. Adult, diam. 1°7 cm, B. Young, diam. 6 mm. 
In their further course, the tertiary septa are bent from side to side in a most 
remarkable manner, and fusing at successive distances outwards with the shorter quater- 
nary and still shorter quinary septa, which are likewise extremely undulate in their 
course, a series of chambers is formed, which chambers are closed at their peripheral ends 
by processes of synapticular matter. The chambers are arranged symmetrically in each 
system on either side of the secondary septum, and successively decrease in size and 
increase in number from the centre outwards. The chambers opening all over the coral 
give it a most remarkable honeycombed appearance. 
The columella is an elongate, thin, vertical lamina stretched in line with an opposite 
pair of primary septa. At its base it is provided with rootlets, which join the primary 
and fused tertiary septa. 
