168 ON THE SOLITARY CORALS, COLLECTED BY DR A. WILLEY. 



Genus. Tridacophyllia, Blainville. 



10. Tridacophyllia primordialis, n. sp. (Fig. 7.) 



The corallum is somewhat conical below, and attached by a stout pedicle with a 

 slightly spreading base. The margin of the calice grows out into four thick, pointed 

 branches. Of these, two arise opposite to one another and grow almost vertically 

 upwards, the axial fossa between being generally somewhat elongated in the plane at 

 right angles. Between these, in the latter plane, two more branches grow almost hori- 

 zontally outwards, of which one is from the first usually much longer than the other; 

 neither, however, attains the same length as the vertical branches. The outside of the 

 corallum is marked by longitudinal rows of fine granules, which can be seen to be con- 

 tinuous with the costae and slightly exsert septa above. 



The septa are thick with very finely granular sides and almost smooth edges. 

 Their arrangement into cycles and systems is difficult to distinguish. Twelve extend to 

 the axial fossa, of which one reaches to the top of each branch and two to its sides. 

 Between these, three septa are usually intercalated so that four cycles would seem to be 

 present. The interseptal loculi are shallow, being closed in below by endotheca. The 

 axial fossa is elongated, rather narrow and open without any sign of a columella. 



Extreme height of the largest specimen, 15 mm. Length of its vertical branches, 

 5 mm. and 55 nun. Length of the horizontal branches, 3"5 mm. and 1 mm. 



Loc. Sandal Bay, Lifu ; 40 fathoms. Five specimens. 



A careful comparison of the specimens of t his species with those of Tridacophyllia 

 cervicornis (Moseley) in the British Museum has convinced me that this species is 

 not a young form of it. The regular method of branching, the thickness of the 

 branches, the considerable development of endotheca and the smooth edges of the 

 septa in Tridacophyllia, primordialis serve at once to distinguish between the two species. 



In the youngest form, which is about 4 mm. high, the vertical branches are just 

 beginning to grow out. Six septa run to the axial fossa; two of these run to the 

 sides of each of the vertical branches, while the remaining two form ultimately the 

 central septa of the two horizontal branches. 



Family. Fungidae, Milne-Edwards and Haime. 

 Genus. Fungia, Milne-Edwards and Haime. 



11. Fungia ehrenhergii, Leuckart. 



Herpetolitlms ehrenhergii, Leuckart, De Zooph. Corall. et gen. Fungia, p. 52, tab. II. 

 (1841). 



Fungia ehrenhergii, Dana, Zooph., p. 303, PI. xix., fig. 2 (1846). 



There is one free anthocyathus, 102 cm. long by 4"4 cm. in breadth, which is 

 referable to this well marked species. In addition there are four fixed specimens, 

 which seem not improbably to belong to the same species. 



Loc. Blanche Bay, New Britain ; shore reefs. 



