MABEEPOEAEIAN FAMILY — THE FtJNGID^. 151 



As in the Fungia already noticed, there are several instances of 

 minor septa uniting within (towards the axial space) or beyond 

 the next largest. 



Unlike the other species of Fungia, this form does not exhibit 

 the rows of large syuapticula separated by spaces when seen 

 from above ; and even a fracture at the side of the corallum, wliich 

 removed the outer parts of the septa and exposed the interseptal 

 loculi to some deptli, only gave faint indications of their pre- 

 sence. Moreover, although so greatly ornamented at the free 

 edges, the septa are comparatively free from granules on their 

 sides low down ; they are sparingly distributed in such situa- 

 tions on the larger septa, and very sparingly on the middle-sized 

 ones. Higher up, and for some distance below the dentations of 

 the larger septa, the granules often run together and form a 

 Vandyke pattern, angle upwards ; and when they remain sepa- 

 rate they assume the same shape in a series, and are large and 

 low, especially near the inner ends of the great septa. 



A transverse fracture enables the structure of the septa, syuap- 

 ticula, and basal wall to be seen, with granular costal spines on 

 the base. It shows also the remarkable shape of the corallum, 

 which has, in the specimen now under consideration, a crescenti- 

 form transverse section, and that the direction of the tail syuap- 

 ticula of the inner half is nearly vertical, for they do not radiate 

 from the base. Purther out and near the circumference the 

 syuapticula are more or less radial from the imaginary centre of 

 the curve of the transverse section ; but their height is small, 

 and they are decidedly curved and often discontinuous; tliat is, 

 th.e ridge form is deficient here and there, elongate nodules re- 

 placing it. 



The larger syuapticula near the axis are slightly curved and 

 wavy in their direction, and they are slenderer than in Fungia 

 scutaria. They form, however, a considerable series separated by 

 sj)aces which are canals when the coral is unbroken, and their 

 path is oblique to certain lines of depression which are directed 

 upwards and outwards on the septa. These lines correspond with 

 the concavities between the tall dentations, and often become 

 slits and decided foramina, especially near the base in the septa, 

 dividing them into palisade-looking processes. 



The higher orders of septa are as cribriform as they are in 

 the other example of Fimgia; and solid stout syuapticula attach 

 them to the neighbouiiug dense and large septa. The orna- 



