168 MADEEPOEAEIA. 



180. Madrepora valida. 



Madrtpora valida, Dana, Zoophytes, p. 461, pi. xxxv. fig. 1 ; M.-Edwards & Haime, Coralliaires, t. iii. 



p. 150 ; Duncan, Journ. Linn. See. London, 1886, vol. xxi. p. 19 ; Eathbun, Proc. U.S. Nat. 



Mus. 1887, vol. X. p. 19 ; ? Ortmann, Zool. JB. 1888, Bd. iii. p. 152 (rum ibid. 1889, Bd. iv. 



p. 506 ; nmx B.-Smith, Ann. Mag. N. H. 1890, vol. vi. p. 453). 

 Madrepora verrucosa, M.-Edwards & Haime, Atlas Cuvier's Eegne Anim., Zooph. pi. Izxxi. fig. 1 ; ibid. 



CoraUiaires, t. iii. p. 150 ; ? Fanrot, Arch. Zool. Exp^r. 1888, t. vi. p. 119. 



Corallum ce.spito8e ; branchlets subdigitifonn, very uneven, 7'5 cm. long and 12 to 16 mm. 

 thick, rudely proliferous. Under surface of the outer branchlets flattened and nearly naked. 

 Radial corallites unequal, appressed tubiform, very stout and large, 4 to 8 mm. long and 2 mm. 

 broad ; exterior smooth, star rather distinct, the directive septa meet below. {Dana.) 



In the figure given by Dana the axial corallites are scarcely any larger than the radial ones. 



The type of M. verrucosa, Ed. & H., could not be found at the time of my visit to the 

 Paris Museum. A specimen from Tongatabu bears that name, but does not conform to the 

 diagnosis given by Milne-Edwards and is nothing like the specimen figured in the Atlas to 

 Cuvier's work. There appears little doubt, judging from the description and figure, that 

 M. verrucosa is identical with Dana's species. 



Var. digitata, Dana {Madrepora albida digitata, Gualtieri). 

 Under this name Dana refers to a fragment in the collection of the Boston Natural History 

 Society, in which the branches are 12 to 16 mm. thick, sometimes acervate with two or more 

 large, stout, scarcely exsert corallites at the apex. Radial corallites uneven and very stout, 

 3 to 6 mm. long, with a thick lip and small circular aperture, very neatly stellate. The form 

 is figured in Gualtieri's Index Test. Conchyl. on the back of titlepage to part iii. 



The Thursday Island specimens are subcespitose, branches 8 cm. long and 1"5 cm. 

 diameter at the base, subdivisions radiating. Axial corallites 3 mm. diameter, tapering, with 

 rounded margin. Radial corallites of the same type, ascending to spreading tubular, 1*5 mm. 

 diameter at first, but rapidly increasing to 2'5 or 3 mm. and to 5 mm. in length, somewhat 

 tapering; a few small subimmersed corallites occur between the more prominent ones. The 

 star consists of 12 septa, all except the directives are rather narrow. Corallum very dense; 

 wall finely echinulate, not striate. 



Indo-Pacific Ocean : Fiji, Tongatabu, Torres Straits, ? China Sea, Singapore, 

 Elphinstone Island (Mergui Archipelago), ? Red Sea. 



a-c. Thursday Island. Saville-Kent Coll. 92. 6. 8. 290, 291, & 317. 

 d. ? ? 93. 4. 7. 118. 



181. Madrepora microphthalioa. 

 Madrepora microphthalma, Verrill, Comm. Essex Inst. 1869, vol. vi. pp. 83 & 102. 



Corallum somewhat arborescent, spreading mostly in one plane. The main trunk gives off 

 branches subpinnately, 1"2 cm. thick, rapidly divergent, usually less than 7 mm. apart. A 



