163 



Notophyllia recta, spec. nov. PI. v., fi,<;s. +a, 6. 



Corallum small, short, and compressed. The base is 

 wedge-shaped, and much like that of .V. (/nirilis, mihi. There 

 is no epitheca, and the wall is highly vesicular and porous. A 

 series of fine granular lines, longitudinally arranged, and 

 placed between the septa, enclose the vesicular portions of the 

 wall. The wedge-shaped base is also markedly granular and 

 porous. 



The calice is moderately cleejD and very elliptical, the 

 ratio of the long and short axes being as 2 to 1. The colu- 

 mella is straight, lamellar, and granular : together with the 

 septa at the ends of the longitudinal axis it divides the calice 

 into two halves. On each side of the end septa there are three 

 smaller ones, or 12 for the whole calioe, but they are not quite 

 equal, those adjoining the full-sized end septa being the small- 

 est. In all there are 26 septa, viz., 13 in each half of the 

 calice, and, except the small ones just mentioned, they are long 

 and sub-equal. All are thin, straight, and granulated like the 

 columella. Their central margins are free for som.e distance, 

 but lower down they are continued by short processes which 

 reach the columella. Occasional pores are visible on their 

 sides, quite close to the wall. 



Height, 2mm. to 3 mm. ; length of calice, 5 mm. ; breadth 

 of do., 2'5 mm. 



The three examples from which the description of this 

 species is written were dredged by Messrs. Heclley and Pet- 

 terd at 250 fathoms 20 miles N.E. of Port Jackson. Two 

 much-worn corals, one of which is double the size of those 

 quoted, may possibly represent the same species; these were 

 obtained by Dr. Verco off Cape Jaffa at a depth of 130 

 fathoms. 



The present coral differs in many important points from 

 N . r/racilis, its nearest fossil congener. Tlie latter is larger 

 and has a distinctly different columella, while its septa vary 

 more in size, and are arranged in six well-marked systems. 



Genus Dendrophyllia, Milne-Edwards and Haime. 



Dendrophyllia atrata, spec. nov. PI. vi.. figs, ba, h. 



Numerous specimens of this coral have been dredged, and 

 from various stations in St. Vincent's Gulf, etc., but all at 

 shallow depths. There are a few bush-shaped colonies like 

 the one figured, but several examples are solitary and adher- 

 ent to shells or polyzoal fragments. That the species in- 

 creases by budding is, however, demonstrated by the compo- 

 site clumps, the gemmation being both lateral and subbasal. 

 As a rule, the solitary individuals are small, and they pro- 

 bably represent buds which have become detached from the 

 g2 



