TRIBE I. ASTR^EACEA. 227 



ananas as the porcata, and also to Esper's cellufasa, tab. xl. (our A. favistella), besides 

 the figure above referred to. His description is as follows : " Subglobosa, stellis insequa- 

 libus, irregularibus, oblongis, ssepe dividuis, 2-3'" longis et latis, margine elevatis, inter- 

 stitiis dilatatis, lamellosis, sulco depressis, denticulatisque, lamellis dentatis." (Op. cit. G. 

 lix. sp. 6.) 



The A. ananas of Quoy and Gaymard (Voy. de 1'Ast. iv. pi. 16, fig. 6.), approaches 

 this species in some of its characters, but is too imperfectly described and figured to be 

 identified. 



26. ASTR^EA FLEXUOSA. (Dana.} 



A. flexuoso-convexa ; poly pis 6-8'" latis, discis rubro-brunnescentibus, 

 tentaculis pallidis apicemque flavis. CoraUum robustum, subcellulo- 

 sum ; caliculis scepe contortis, cellis 4-7'" latis, profundis, intus nan 

 coronatis ; collibus \%- 2'" crassis, undulatis, rotundatis, obsolete 

 sukatis ; lamellis bene regularibus, confertis, crassioribus, denticulatis : 

 transverse secto, stettis multiradiatis cum cellulis decompositis ; septis 

 scepe !"' super antibus, solidis, cellulis paucis. 



A. flexuoso-convex ; polyps 6 to 8 lines broad; disks brownish-red, 

 tentacles pale, with the tips yellow. Corallum firm and subcellular ; 

 calicles often contorted ; cells 4 to 7 lines broad, deep, not coro- 

 nate within; ridges 1J to 2 lines thick, undulate, rounded, obso- 

 letely truncate ; lamellae even, crowded, rather stout, denticulate : 

 in a transverse section, stars multiradiate, with the cellules decom- 

 pound ; septa often exceeding 1 J lines, solid, with few cellules. 



Plate 11, fig. 6, polyps partly expanded, natural size ; 6 a, tentacle, 

 enlarged ; 6 b, another in outline ; 6 c, view of opening of mouth, 

 enlarged ; 6 d, profile of cell, ridges and lamella? ; 6 e, vertical section 

 of corallum, natural size. 



Feejee Islands. Exp. Exp. 



The firm subcellular corallum and even denticulate lamellae dis- 

 tinguish this species from the dipsacea ; and the flexuous ridges, often 

 slightly sulcate, larger cells and coarser texture, from i\\efusco-viridis. 

 It forms convex masses, four to five inches in diameter, with an 

 uneven or flexuous surface. 



