1898,] CORALS FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 537 



Psammocora ^aimiawa, Klunziager, Die Korall. des Roth. Meeres, 

 p. 81, Taf. ix. fig. 5. 



The structure of the corallum has been described above, with 

 the genus, as a type of the massive species. 



Funafuti ; lagoon. Three small specimens. 



5, PsAMMOCOEA suPEEFiciALis, n. sp. (Plate XLV. fig. 2.) 



Corallum primarily incrusting, with a thin margin seldom free, 

 then becoming massive, with a tendency to round itself off and fall 

 over by the wearing away of its base. 



The surface is covered with irregularly arranged calices, and has 

 a number of scattered ridges. Gemmation takes place anywhere 

 over the septa, but especially at the angles where three or more 

 calices meet. The ridges appear to have been originally collines 

 separating rows of calices, but by irregular budding to have been 

 broken up, so that in the older parts they appear to bear no 

 relationship to the calices. 



The calices are l-5-2'5 mm. in diameter. Owing to the method 

 of gemmation their septa vai-y greatly, but usually about ten end 

 freely by the axial fossa), while about the same number are fused 

 towards the exterior with these. The fusion, however, is not 

 regularly in pairs, some of the septa always running to the 

 exterior of the calice ; for instance, the nine freely-ending septa 

 of one calice were made up by 5, 1, 5, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1, and 2 septa 

 respectively. The septa are thick, being commonly broader than 

 their interseptal spaces ; their upper edges are covered with low, 

 subequal spines, themselves both at the tops and sides minutely 

 spinulose. 



There is no true theca between the calices. When a fresh 

 calice is budded off, the septa connecting its fossa to the old 

 calicular fossa grow upwards and become closely connected by 

 synapticula and trabeculse, so that the ridges often seem to have 

 much perforated walls, over which the septa are not continuous. 



The axial fossa is filled up by trabecule from the septal edges, 

 which commonly bear a central spine, surrounded by a circle of 

 slightly smaller spines, generally lying opposite to the larger 

 septa. 



Funafuti ; lagoon shoal. 



6. Psammocora profundacblla, n. sp. (Plate XLV. fig. 3.) 



Corallum primarily incrusting, but later forming low masses, 

 which may break off at the base. 



The surface is covered by irregularly-shaped calices, either com- 

 pletely circumscribed or in short series with slightly projecting 

 intermediate ridges ; diameter of calices, or from ridge to ridge, 

 3-4 mm. Gemmation takes place by budding, either within the 

 calice, when a short series results, or from the ridge, where three 

 or more calices meet, when the young calice is from the first 

 completely circumscribed. The valleys and the separate calices 

 are usually 2-3 mm. in depth. A few of the septa of neighbouring 



