﻿454 BULLETIN 103, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



alternating septg-costae. Septa lamellate but irregularly more or less 

 perforate. Both synapticulae and dissepiments present. Columella 

 trabecular. Asexual reproduction by intercalicular gemmation. 



The coral genera represented by Oulastrea Milne Edwards and 

 Haime, Diploastrea Matthai, and Cyathomorjjha Reuss appear to me 

 to deserve recognition as a group of family value. The latter two 

 of these genera have been confused ^vith Orhicella, as will be made 

 evident in subsequent remarks. It is unfortunate tiiat the validity 

 of neither C\iaihomorpha. nor of Diploastrea can be established at 

 present. The reasons for the uncertainty will appear in discussions 

 to follow. 



Oulastrea crispata (Lamarck) Milne Edwards and Haime, the type 

 species of Oulastrea ^ is represented in tlie United States National 

 Museum by 80 specimens from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, collected 

 by J. B. Steere, and from near Mariveles, Luzon, collected by Albert 

 M. Reese, Philippine Islands. The description and figures given by 

 Milne Edwards and Haime are really excellent, but they did not rec- 

 ognize that tile genus belongs to the Madreporaria Fungida. Tlie 

 septa are mostl}^ solid, but there are some perforations, especially in 

 the smaller septa. The walls of the corallites are synapticulate and 

 perforate around the periphery of the corallum, but those of the 

 interior corallites are continuous, with few or no obvious perforations. 

 There are synapticulae between the peripheral septo-costae ; within the 

 corallite cavities synapticulae . mostly occur near the inner edges of 

 the septa, but some occur between the wall and the inner septal 

 edges. Thin dissepiments are abundant. The septal teeth usually 

 make two fairly definite, in some very definite, palar crowns that 

 stand a little higher than the columeUar papillae. These specimens 

 are stained black and do not bleach when boiled with caustic potash. 



As Oulastrea is the only genus referred to the family of the validity 

 of whose name I can be reasonably certain, notes on the generic char- 

 acters are given in some detail. 



Genus CYATHOMORPHA Reuss. 



1868. Cyathomorpha Rkuss, K. K. Akad. AVis8. Wien., Mat.-Naturwih',s. CI., 



Denkschr., vol. 28, p. 142, pi. 2, figs. 6fl, 66, 6c. 

 1884. Cyathomorpha Duncan, Linn. Soc. Lond. .Tourn. (Zool), vol. 18, p. 105. 

 1889. Cyathomorpha Reis, Bayer, geoguost. Landesuntersvich. Geognost. Jahresh., 



Jahrg. 2, p. 147, pi. 3, figs. 17-19. 



Type-species. — OijatJiomorpha conglohata (Reuss) 'Reuss = Astrea 

 roc^ e^^inaMichelhi = Cyathomorpha rocJiettina (Michelui) Reis,j^(ZeReis.- 



1 Comptes Rend., vol. 27, p. 495, 1848; Ann. Sci. nat., ser. 3, Zool., vol. 10, pi. 9, figs. 4, 4o, 1848; Idem 

 vol. 12, p. 110, 1849. 



2 Bayer, geognost. Landesiintersuch. Geogtiost. Jahresh.,' Jahrg. 2, p. 147. 



