222 C/u'isfmas Island. 



Group PERFORATA. 

 Family PORITID^. 



Porites, aff. lutea, Edwards & Haime. 



Forites eonglomerata, var. jaune, Quoy & Gaimard, 1833. Yoy. Astrolabe, 



Zoopli., vol. iv, p. 249. 

 „ ,, Dana, 1848. Zooph. : Expl. Exp. "Wilkes, vol. viii, 



p. 561, pi. Iv, fig. 3. 

 ,, lutea, Edwards & Haime, 1860. Hist. nat. Cor., vol. iii, p. 180. 



The genus Porites is now undergoing revision by Mr. Bernard, 

 and until his work is issued, identifications of recent species of the 

 genus must be regarded as provisional. The Christmas Island 

 collection includes two fossil Porites^ with twelve well-marked 

 septa, very thin and indistinct walls, inconspicuous columella, and 

 the pali not well developed. The diameter of the corallites is 

 about rSmm. This association of characters renders it probable 

 that the species is a close hVlj of P. lutea, which was founded 

 by Edwards & Haime, practically on Dana's P. eonglomerata. 

 Mr. Stanley Gardner suggests that P. lutea should be regarded 

 as a variety of P. arenosa. 



Distribution. — On Christmas Island. 

 Fossil : Sea cliff. Rocky Point. 



No. 161. Top of the sea clLff, north coast. 



No. 165. Lower part of the sea cliff. 



No. 997. Southern slope of the island ; alt. 350 feet. 



Fig. 5. 



Figure. — Fig. 5. Part of a transverse section of specimen from 

 Rocky Point, X 9 dia. 



