254 Mr. S. O. Ridley on the Coral-fauna of Ceylon. 



sian Gulf, gives Ceylon as a locality for this, the precious Red 

 Coral of the Mediterranean and Cape-Verd Islands ; and Dr. 

 Ondaatje lias shown me decorticated specimens from Ceylon 

 which make the identity of the species probable. It is note- 

 worthy that a fossil form is recorded from Indian deposits 

 [Duncan) which (as I have given reasons for thinking, see 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 232) seems probably identical with 

 this species, Seguenza having found it fossil in Italy, still 

 bearing; a slight red tint. 



" An Officer," in a work entitled " Ceylon (London, 8vo, 

 1876, 2 vols.), ii. p. 274, mentions small fragments of red 

 coral similar to that of the Mediterranean as having been 

 found at the water's edge between Gralle and Colombo, and 

 states it to have been referred to by the Portuguese. 



The specimens shown me by Dr. Ondaatje, one of which has 

 been placed by him in the British Museum, have a decidedly 

 scarlet colour, which penetrates to the centre ; the texture of 

 the corallum is dense ; the longitudinal stride are placed rather 

 further apart in the smaller branches than is usual in the 

 Mediterranean red coral, with which, however, the general 

 habit seems to agree. An examination of the cortex ap- 

 pears to me necessary to the absolute determination of the 

 species. 



Incertjs sedis. 



*Tubij)ora reptans. Carter. 



Tubipora reptans, Carter, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (5) v. p. 442, pi. xviii. 



Resembles Callipodium in its manner of growth. Only 

 known from a small specimen. 



Obtained in Gulf of Manaar (Carter). 



Order ZOANTHARIA. 



Suborder Madreporaria. 



Family Astraeidae. 



Galaxea musicalis, Linne. 



Madrepora musicalis, Linne, Systema Naturae, (12) p. 1278. 



It is recorded from the Indian Ocean by Milne-Edwards and 

 Haime. 





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