506 Verrill, JVbtes on Madiata. 



Pali 5 or 6, short nnd stout, roughly spinulose. Columella little devel- 

 oped, spongy or trabicular. Diameter of the larger clumps 3 to 4 

 inches ; height about 2 ; diameter of branches mostly '25 to -35 ; 

 diameter of polyp-cells about -04 or -05 of an inch. 



La Paz, not uncommon on the beach, but mostly badly worn,— 

 Capt. J. Pedersen, 



Family, Eupsammid^ Edw. and Haime. 



CaryophyUidoR {pars) Dana, Zoophytes, p. 364, 1846. 



Bupsammidce (family) Edw. and Hairae, Annals des Sci. Nat., ser. 3, x, p. 65, 1 848. 

 EupsammincB (subfamily) Edw. and Haime, CoralL, iii, p. 90, 1860. 

 Eupsamimidce. (family) Vernll, Proc. Essex Inst, v, p. 28, 1866. 



Corallum simple or compound, massive or variously branched. 

 Compound species increase by lateral, basal, and sometimes inter- 

 stitial budding ; but the genera Lobopsamniia and Meter opsammia 

 by fissiparity. Most genera are without distinct coenenchyma ; but 

 in the genera, Astropsammia and Pachypsatn^nia* the coenenchyma 

 is well developed and spongy. Corallites generally elongated, cylin- 

 drical, or somewhat turbinate, and usually with deep cells. Walls 

 porous, especially near the summit, generally covered by vertical rows 

 of granular nodules, so united as to leave irregular openings and pores 

 betAveen them, often producing a vermiculate structure ; sometimes 

 forming distinct costa3 ; sometimes nearly even and solid toward the 

 base. 



Septa well developed, lamellar, generally forming four or five cycles, 

 those of the first largest, usually with entire edges ; those of the last 

 cycle are often more developed than those of the preceding cycle and 

 curved toward and united to them, or united together in pairs in 

 front of them. In some genera those of the penultimate cycle are also 

 curved toward the preceding, and sometimes even those of the ter- 

 tiary cycle are curved toward those of the secondary. Owing to 

 these peculiarities of arrangement, the septa never radiate in a 

 regular manner from the center, as in most other families, but usually 

 have an elegant star-like and symmetrical arrangement. Internal 

 transverse plates or dissepiments between the septa are either want- 

 ing or distant and imperfect, rarely well developed ; in Astropsammia 

 all are often at one level in the different interseptal spaces, thus com- 

 pletely shutting off the space below. Columella always present, 

 usually well developed and spongy, or having a cancellate structure. 



* Pachypsammia valida Verrill, from Hong Kong. Procedings Essex Institute, vol. 

 V, p. 30, 1866. By error printed ^^ Pachysammia." 



