MATTHAI— REGENT COLONIAL ASTR^ID^ 69 



1857. Leptastrma ehrenhergana, Milne Edwards and Haime, Hist. Nat. CoralL, ii, p. 494, pi. D 7, fig. 4. 



1879. Leptastrcea ehrenhergana, Klunzinger, Korall. Roth. Meer., iii, p. 46, pi. 6, fig. 3. 



1899. Orbicella klunzingeri, Gardiner, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 755. 



1904. Orbicella ehrenhergana (pars), Gardiner, Fauna Geogr. Maldives and Laccadives, ii, p. 776. 



Corallum. Incrusting or rounded and completely covered with corallites, sometimes 

 rising into humps. Inter-corallite furrows shallower and less distinct than in L. roissyana, 

 sometimes absent, septa then meeting over walls in ridge-form. Corallites not projecting, 

 the larger ones usually laterally compressed and distorted, widest at their margins, 

 showing considerable variation in size in different parts of the same specimen, often much 

 larger in certain regions (usually eminences) than in others (valleys). Walls much thicker 

 than in the last species, up to 1'5 mm., usually about "75 mm. Calices oval or polygonal, 

 from 2 — 5 '6 x 5 mm. in diameter, average 4'5 x 4 mm., depth up to 3 "6 mm. 



Septa appearing crowded in calices, not swollen in thecse, somewhat thicker in calices 

 than in L. roissyana, usually less exsert, sides granular, edges denticulate, in four or 

 sometimes five orders. Primaries broader than secondaries above columella, both with 

 almost vertical margins ; these and often a varying number of tertiaxnes (up to 10), usually 

 4 or 5, meeting columella, remaining tertiaries as a rule curving towards and their edges 

 fusing with sides of secondaries near to columella ; up to 6 quinaries present, all the 

 quaternaries being then entocoelic. Columella dense up to 2 x 1 "6 mm. thick, often with 

 conspicuous upright rods. 



A thicker and rougher species than L. roissyana. Occasionally cases of fusion of two 

 corallites, giving an appearance of fission. 



No polyps. 



Remarks. Milne Edwards and Haime's original of L. ehrenhergana from Red Sea, 

 in the Paris Museum, is a massive specimen, measuring 15x5x12x11 cm. with typical 

 corallites, being identical with specimen no. 9 on p. 71. Resembling these in the Berlin 

 Museum are Klunzinger's small figured example (7x6 cm.) of the same species and a 

 large specimen from Dar-es-Salaam, referred by Ortmann to L. immersa, Klunz. 



Localities. Red Sea (5). Maldives: Hulule(l); Goidu (l) ; Turadu (1). Minikoi 

 (3 and broken pieces). Chagos : Salomon (4) ; Egniont (1). Rotuma (1). Funafuti (l). 

 Also from Dar-es-Salaam (Ortmann). 



3. Leptastrea solida (Milne Edwards and Haime). (PL 17, figs 8 and 9 ; 18, 

 figs 3—6 and 8 ; 19, figs 5 and 6.) 



1850. Cyphastrea? hottm (pars), Milne Edwards and Haime, Ann. Sci. Nat., Zool., 3'= ser., xii, p. 115. 

 1850. Baryastrea solida, Milne Edwards and Haime, Ann. Sci. Nat., Zool., 3" ser., xii, p. 144. 

 1857. Gyphastroia holtai (pars), Milne Edwards and Haime, Hist. Nat. CoralL, ii, p. 486, pi. D 7, fig. 1 (not 



"grandeur naturelle" but an enlarged view). 

 1857. Baryastrcea solidce, Milne Edwards and Haime, Hist.- Nat. CoralL, ii, p. 512, pi. D 8, fig. 2a and h. 

 ? 1860. Ghypastrea ohlita, Duchassaing and Michellotti, Meraoire Goi-all. Antill. Turin, p. 77. 

 1879. Leptastrma hottai, Klunzinger, Korall. Roth. Meer., iii., p. 44, pL 5, fig. 9, pi. 10, fig. 13 a and b. 

 1879. Leptastrcea incegualis, Klunzinger, Korall. Roth. Meer., iii, p. 45, pi. 5, fig. 6. 

 1904. Orbicella hottai, Gardiner, Fauna Geogr. Maldives and Laccadives, p. 777, pi. 63, fig. 36. 



Corallum. Variations in growth-form as in B. ehrenhergana. Inter-corallite 

 furrows distinct, rarely absent, in which case wall flat with septa continuous over same. 

 Corallites usually round, sometimes polygonal or oval, projecting to about 1 mm., maximum 



