28 



I took this to be Solenosmilia variabilis Duncan, but Mr. Jeffrey Bell, 

 who has kindly compared the two, says " they may be the same, but the calicles 

 of your species are larger, and there is more anastomosis of the several tunnels. 

 I think they should be kept apart." 



Family FUNGID^J, Dana. 

 Subfamily Lophoserince, Edw. & H. 



xiv. BATHYACTIS, Moseley. 

 24. Bathyactis symmetrica, (Pourtales) Moseley. 



Fungia symmetrica, Poartal&s, 111. Cat. Mas. Cotnp. Zool. No. IV. 1871, p. 46, pi. vii. figs. 5, 6 : Martin Cancan, 

 Trans. Zool. Soc. VIII. 1874, p. 334, pi. xlix. figs. 16-19. 



Rathyactis symmetrica, Moseley, Challenger, Deep Sea Madreporaria, p. 186, pi. xi. figs. 1-13: Wood-Mason 

 and Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. Jan. 1891, p. 8 : Jourdan, Zoanth. " Hirondelle " (Monaco, 1895), p. 28. 



This species has been dredged by the ' Investigator ' in the Bay of Bengal, 

 off the Coromandel Coast, at 920-690 fms., and in the Arabian Sea, off the 

 Maldive Is., at 719 fms. 



I identify it with the beautiful figures of Moseley's Report. It was dis- 

 covered by the U. S. Sun r ey in the West Indian Seas at depths of 450 and 350 

 fms., and seems to have been constantly found afterwards in those seas at 

 depths of 100 to 805 fms. By the " Challenger " it was met with in many 

 places in the North and South Atlantic, the South Indian Ocean, and the East 

 and West Pacific, and was found to have a bathymetrical range of 82 fms. to 

 2900 fms. "a wider range in depth than any other animal" (Moseley), and 

 "a world-wide distribution" (Wyville Thomson). 



25. Bathyactis Stephana, Alcock. PI. iii. figs. 5, 6a. 



Bathyactis stephanus, Alcock, Journal Asiatic Soc. Bengal, Vol. LXII. pt. 2, 1893, p. 149, pi. v. figs. 12, 12a. 



The chief differences between this species and the preceding are that the 

 base of the corallum is strongly concave, making the upper surface of the 

 corallum strongly convex, and that the septa of the first three cycles are folia- 

 ceously expanded to a remarkable height and have their edges, when unbroken, 

 entire (very finely denticulate when magnified). 



The corallum is very thin and fragile, circular, strongly convex, the base 

 forming an inverted bowl. The costae radiate from the centre like the spokes 

 of a wheel, and become sharply cristiform as they approach the circumference. 



Septa in six systems and five complete cycles, arranged exactly as in 

 B. symmetrica, that is to say, the primary septa are independent, while those of 



