AUSTRALIAN GONIOPORyK. 63 



granules rather than teeth. In the first the stock is explanate, the calicles shallow, and the 

 rosette conspicuous ; in the second the stock is convex in the middle, the calicles are deeper, 

 but the rosette is hardly different ; while in the third, the stock is convex and massive, and the 

 calicles are still deeper, and the rosette less conspicuous. Further, this series is made more 

 interesting by the presence of the extreme explanate form, Goniopora N. W. Australia 2 with 

 small calicles, but with the compact septa edged with granules so that owing to the closeness 

 of the skeleton the whole surface seems to be a compact mosaic of delicate frosted granules. 

 Cf. on the interdependence of growth-form and type of calicles, Introduction, p. 24. 



All these forms come from the same locality, and it may be that we have here another 

 case of that strange family likeness between corals from the same locality which we 

 have already noted in former volumes (see Vol. II. p. 18). In those cases, however, the 

 resemblance was largely in superficial texture, but here it seems to be more fundamental than 

 superficial. 



All these (except the first) differ from the specimen now to be described from King's 

 Sound, in having larger calicles and a full number of septa. 



a. Zool. Dept. 92. 1. 16. 32. 



32. Goniopora North- West Australia (6) 6. (PI. IV. figs. 4, 5, and 6 ; PI. XII. figs. 5 and 6.) 

 [King's Sound, coll. W. Saville Kent ; British Museum.] 



Description. — Corallum forms globular masses, edges being everywhere closely encrusting 

 and bending round under the stock. 



Calicles average 3 mm. in size, varying from polygonal to subcircular, 3-4 mm. deep ; 

 more open, shallow and cup-shaped at the sides. Walls of the deeper calicles at the top 

 very steep, varying in character and thickness, being either thin and lattice-like, straight or 

 slightly zigzag, with denticulate edges (PI. IV. fig. 5), or greatly thickened, reticular, with 

 rounded tops, the reticulum being symmetrical and showing a straight row of meshes run- 

 ning on each side of the median ridge which is often zigzag (PL IV. fig. 6). Septa seldom 

 traceable as striffi across the wall. Round the margin of the calicles twelve symmetrical and 

 finely toothed strife run down the steep walls ; all appear typically to curve concavely in- 

 wards towards the reticular columella, the teeth often tending to bend up slightly, but not 

 sufficiently to form true pali; sometimes the primaries are more pronounced, both being 

 thicker and projecting further than the secondaries. The tertiaries are very rudimentary, 

 only just visible round the margin, but, in the shallower lateral calicles, they are well marked 

 and project regularly into the interseptal loculi and, bending round, complete the typical 

 formula. The columella is a distinct reticular tangle separated from the wall by a clear ring 

 of twelve interseptal loculi. Sometimes it is convex, at others the septa project rather far 

 above it, in which case it appears feebly developed. The straggling branching points of its 

 surface become gradually pronounced into a rosette, which is very conspicuous in the lateral 

 calicles, each palus being itself a jagged tangle, the symmetry of which, visible to the 

 naked eye, becomes obscure under the lens. 



