1899.] ASTR.EID CORALS FROM THE SOUTH PACIflC. 761 



oF which ill the hxrgest calices (1*3 cm.) more tlian 20 oFteu 

 I'each the columella.. The latter is formed by a few coarse 

 trabeculse from the septal edges and is never very large. The 

 \\alls in my specimen are nowliere more than 8'5 cm. in thickness, 

 and in longitudinal sections are seen to remain of the same 

 thickness throughout. 



Hotuma ; extreme edge ot" reef with the three preceding 

 species. 



6. Prionastr.ea tklVella Dana. 



Astrcea tenella, Dana, Zooph. p. 231, pi. xiii. tig. 1 (1848). 

 A small colony rather doubtfully referred to this species and 

 even to this genus. 

 Rotuma ; outer reef. 



Genus Cyphastr.iia. 



Cypliastnva, Milne-Edwards & Haime, Gomp. I'end. de I'Acad. 

 des Sc. xxvii. p. 494 (1848), and Cor. ii. p. 484 (1857). 



There does not seem to be any real difference between this 

 genus and Solenastrcea, but, as I have been unable to make any 

 comparison of a large number of specimens, I have retained the 

 generic name. There are only two specimens of the geiuis in 

 the collection, both of which were found lying unattached in the 

 boat-L-hannel at Eotuma, They were, when found, both complerely 

 covered with polyps, and were the ouly corals obtained in the 

 living condition from such a position. 



1. Cyphastr.da chalcidicum Forsk. 



Madrepora chalcidicum^ Forskal, Descr. an. in it. orient, p. 1 j6 

 (1775). 



Cynliastrfm chalcidicum, Tvlunzinger, Die Ivorall. des E.. Meeres, 

 iii. p. 53, pi. V. fig. 8, pi. x. fig. 11 (1879). 



One colony certainly identical with the specimens referred by 

 Ivhinzinger to the above species. The specimen is a free, oval- 

 shaped mass, 16 cm. by 10 cm. by about 7 cm. thick, completely 

 covered with calices. 



Eotuma ; boat-channel. 



2. Cyphastr^a savigxyi Milne-Edwards & Haime. (Plate 

 XLIX. fig. 1.) 



Cyphastrcea savigni/i, Milne-Edwards & Haime, Ann. des Sc. 

 Nat. ser. 3, xii. p. 115 (1850), and Cor. ii. p. 485 (1857). 



A single specimen agreeing closely with all the characters given 

 by the above authors. The colony is a round, Iree, flat mass — 

 about 10 em. across by 2-5 cm. thick — with eleven large blunt 

 lobes at the edge, the whole completely covered with calices except 

 for a small area on each side. The calices project commonly for 

 about 1 mm. above the general surface, but a few are free for 2 

 or even 3 mm. ; in diameter they are generally about 2 mm., 



