1899.] astrjEid corals from the south pacific. 741 



Funafuti and Eotuma, but it cannot apparently withstand the 

 force of heavy breakers. 



The specimens belong to five species, of which three were 

 described by Milne-Edwards and Haime without figures. Care- 

 fully comparing all Milne-Edwards and Haime's descriptions of 

 the species of the genus, and further comparing them with Ellis 

 and Solander's, Esper's, and Dana's descriptions and figures, I 

 have no doubt but that the specimens really belong to the species 

 described by those authors. I have described one species as new 

 under the name of G. edwanlsi. This species is closely related to 

 C. bottai, which lias been probably correctly identified by Klunz- 

 inger with C. arabica var. leptochila Ehrenberg. Erom Klunzinger's 

 description of this species, however, the characters of C edwardsi 

 would appear to be of good specific value. 



1. CcELORiA d.^dalea Ellis & Solander. (Plate XL VI. figs. 1, 2.) 



Madrepora dcedalea, Ellis & Solander, Zooph. p. 163, pi. xlvi. 

 (1786). 



Madrepora dcedalea, Esper, Eorts. Pflanz. i. p. 63, pi. Ivii. fig. 1 

 (1797). _ 



Cceloria dcedalea, Milne-Edwards & Haime, Cor. ii. p. 416 

 (1857). 



I have referred four specimens to this species, which vary very 

 much among themselves, but yet present certain common features. 



The colony forms large hemispherical masses, which die in the 

 centre while continuing to grow at the periphery. The calices 

 in the centre of such a mass are generally circumscribed, while 

 near the periphery they form series often 3-4 cm. long. The 

 growing edge is generally thick, and the under surface is covered 

 by a thick, conceuti'ically-marked epitheca. 



The theca appears to be formed by thickening on the septal 

 sides, and hence possesses a very ragged upper edge. The 

 calicular Avails are at first thin plates, formed by the fused thecae, 

 but, if the growth of the colony is slow, may thicken enormously 

 by a deposition within the calices of vesicular corallum. 



The septa belong to three cycles, of which the primaries and 

 secondaries are nearly equal and fuse with the columella; the 

 tertiaries are thin, narrow, and often wanting. There are 10-13 

 septa present in 1 cm. in the serial calices. The primaries and 

 secondaries are continuous over the theca between the valleys, 

 and are commonly about 1 mm. exsert. Grenerally the septa are 

 thin, with ragged edges ; their outlines vary enormously, but in 

 section, between series, the larger septa are seen to form broad 

 arches over the theca, Avith almost vertical edges,' abruptly broad- 

 ening towards the fossae. The columella increases in size with the 

 thickness of the theca, and is formed by the swollen septal edges 

 and by trabeculse from the septa, the whole forming an almost 

 imperforate plate in the base of the valleys. 



Eotuma : common in the boat-channel, where it forms large 

 Peoc. Zool. See— 1899, No. XLVIII. 48 



