Dr. J. W. Gregory — Egyptian Corals. 243 



Orbicella Forslcali (Ed. & H.). This determination, I feel sure, 

 is not free from doubt, as I have not been able to see specimens 

 of the four following recent "species" — Orbicella Forskali (Ed. & 

 H.), 0. Inxa, Klnz., O. mammiUosa, Klnz., and Favia tubidosa, Klnz. 

 The specimens agree in every essential character with the 

 original diagnosis of Orbicella Forskali. That coral was then said 

 to have septa belonging to the fourth cycle, which was not, however, 

 stated to be complete. The four fossil specimens have three complete 

 cycles of septa and representatives of the fourth. The only 

 difference between the corals and the original description of 

 0. Forskali is, that the columella is more strongly developed, which, 

 however, is not an important character* in Orbicella. Bat in the 

 " Histoire Naturelle des Coralliaires," Milne Edwards and Haime 

 put Orbicella Forskali into the group of species having four complete 

 cycles. This was probably an error, and possibly a mere accident. 

 Klunzinger had not seen specimens of the species, but he accepted 

 the presence of four complete cycles from Milne Edwards and 

 Haime's action in 1857, and founded for an allied coral with the 

 fourth cycle incomplete the species 0. mammiUosa. 



The coral, however, among Klunzinger's series with which these 

 Pleistocene specimens most closely agree is Favia tubulifera, Klnz. 

 Klunzinger gave two figures of this species, pi. iii, fig. 6, and 

 pi. X, fig. 2, the characters of which do not seem to me quite 

 consistent. The former is a true Favia : the corallites are irregular, 

 triangular or elongated, and in one case, at least, is clearly under- 

 going fission. Bat the latter specimen (pi. x, fig. 2) shows only 

 the characters of Orbicella ; that may be due to the fact that 

 the specimen figured is small ; but as far as that figure goes the 

 specimen appears to be specifically identical with Orbicella Forskali. 

 Faurot^ has recorded this species from the Pleistocene deposits 

 of the southern end of the Red Sea in the Gulf of Tadjura. 



Favia denticulata (Ell. & Sol.) has corallites somewhat of the 

 same type as regards numbers of septa, development of columella, 

 and size ; but the calice is very much deeper, and the septa thinner 

 and more equal in size. 



Genus EUNGIA, Lamarck, 1801. 



FUNGIA PATELLA (Ell. & Sol.), 1786. 



Var. LOBULATA, Klunzinger, 1879.^ 



The British Museum collection includes three small specimens 

 (R. 1,308) of Fungia from the Egyptian Pleistocenes, which may 

 be conveniently recorded here. The specimens are young, having 

 the following dimensions : — 



Height. Diameter. 



(a) 12 mm. ... ... 30 by 35 mm. 



{b) 9 mm 30 by 33 mm. 



(c) 7 mm 33 by 37 mm. 



1 L. Faiirot, " Une Mission dans la Mer Rouge (lie de Karaarane) et dans le 

 Golfe d'Aden (Aden et Golfe de Tadjoura) " : Arch. Zool. Exper., ser. 2, vol. vi, 

 p. 121. 



2 Klunzinger, op. cit., p. 62, pi. vii, fig. 4 ; pi. viii, fig. 2. 



