1898.] CORALS PROM THE SOTJTH PACIFIC. 529 



end septa of the calicles are often formed by mere thickenings, 

 standing out at right angles on the radiating septa of the original 

 central calicle. 



Genus Herpolitha. 



Herpolitha, Bschscholtz, Isis, p. 746 (l'^25). 



Herpetolitha, Edwards and Haime, Cor. iii. p. 23. 



Herpolitha, Duncan, Journ. Linn. Soc, Zool. xviii. p. 145. 



A good description of the corallum of this genus has been given 

 by Duncan \ A comparison with that of PolypHiyllia will probably 

 cause the absorption of that genus, as the smaller specimens of 

 both genera are extremely alike, 



1. Herpolitha crassa Dana. 



Herpolitha crassa, Dana, Zooph. p. 310, pi. xx. figs. 5-5 c. 



Two specimens of this species were obtained, which closely 

 resemble the description and figures given by Dana. The smaller 

 is regular in shape, 16 cm. long by 6 cm. broad, 4*5 cm. high, 

 concavity of the under surface 1*7 cm. deep. The larger specimen 

 ha.s the edges, especially at the ends of the corallum, very ii'regular 

 and much bent ; the caUces, too, are less regular on each side 

 of the central row. The colony is 21 cm. long by 11 cm. broad, 

 7'2 cm. high, concavity of the under surface 4 cm. deep. 



The colour of the li\'ing colony was light hrown, with dark bands 

 around the mouths of the polyps. 



Funafuti ; lagoon shoals. 



Genus Patonia. 



Pavonia, Lamarck, Syst. des Anim. sans Vert. p. 372 (1801). 



Pavonia, Lamarck, Hist, des Anim. sans Vert. t. ii. p. 238 

 (1816). 



Lophoseris, Edwards and Haime, Cor. iii. p. 65. 



Lophoseris, Duncan, Journ. Linn. Soc, Zool. xyiii. p. 157. 



I have retained the name Pavonia for this genus, as it has 

 clearly the priority over Hiibner's use of the term for a genus of 

 Lepidoptera. 



The genus is represented in the collection by 19 specimens, 

 of which 17 have been referred to 4 well-known species. The 

 other two, which I have described as new under the names 

 of P. intermedia and P. calicifera, are intermediate between 

 P. repens and Ticlioseris oMusata iu some of those characters 

 by which Quelch diagnosed the genus Ticlioseris ^. In P. inter- 

 media the character of the valleys and ridges approaches P. repens, 

 while P. calicifera has almost completely circumscribed calicos, 

 Tichoseris obtusata coming between the two with " sinuous groups 

 of two or more centres." The same method of increase is found 

 in all 3 species, by fissiparity and also by gemmation, the calices 



1 Journ. Luin. Soc, Zool.svii. pp. 162-1.55 (1884). 

 = Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. xiii. 1884, p. 295. 



