270 ZOOPHYTES. 



nearly smooth. The name alludes to the foliated character of the 

 species, and the resemblance of the cells to those of the Astraeae, and 

 is from the Greek ipuXXov, leaf. 



The only species observed was met with at the Feejees. 



PHYLLASTR^IA TUBIFEX. (Dana.) 



P. foliacea, erecta, unifrons, scepe lateraliter revoluta et marginibus 

 coalita, itaque scepe ampliter tubulata ; fusca, discis Icete virentibus, 

 tentaculis numerosis. Corattum apice fragile, extus verticaliter stri- 

 atum, striis crassis, incequalibus et scabriculis ; caliculis valde pro- 

 minentibus, J" latis, sursum spectantibus ; lamellis paucis, crassis, 

 scepe distortis. 



Foliaceous, erect, unifacial, often laterally revolute and united by the 

 vertical margins, thus forming large tubes; fuscous, disks bright- 

 green, tentacles numerous. Corallum thin, margin fragile; surface 

 vertically striate, striaB coarse, unequal, and scabrous; calicles very 

 prominent, J of an inch broad, opening upward ; lamellae few and 

 stout, often distorted. 



Plate 16, fig. 4, the zoophyte, natural size, with the polyps unex- 

 panded ; 4 a, enlarged view of polyp, partly expanded ; 4 b, cells and 

 surface of corallum, natural size. 



Feejee Islands. Exp. Exp. 



The thin erect folia are sometimes curved and crested, but often 

 form clustered tubes or hollow cylinders, flattened or irregular in 

 shape. The upper margin of the coral is very fragile and eroso-den- 

 tate ; and below it is in no part over a line and a half thick. The 

 back surface is finely striate. The clusters grow to a height of six 

 inches, and are five or six in breadth. The specimens when alive, 

 had a fine chestnut-brown colour, to within half an inch of the 

 margin ; and this part was pale yellow. The calicles have some 

 resemblance to the larger . calicles on the incipient branches of the 

 Echinopora aspera. 



