314 PEOE. p. M. DuisrcAisr on the 



duals ; and iu the other, tlie Montiporiuse, there is mucli interme- 

 diate areolar tissue. 



MM. Milne-Edwards placed the genus Goseinarcea in the first- 

 named subfamily, and gave the following diagnosis of it : — "The 

 corallum is massive and composed of a hard tissue ; its common 

 base is composed of a striated lamina which appears to be imper- 

 forate and to be without epitheca. The calices are rather deep, 

 often form little series, and increase by calicular and submarginal 

 gemmation. There are no pali, nor are there distinct walls 

 between individuals. The septa are numerous, close, regularly 

 fenestrated with crumpled edges, and they merge into those of the 

 neighbouring calices." 



Goseinarcea meandrina is a recent form, and lives in the Red Sea 

 and the Indian Ocean ; and I have lately received it from Mergui. 

 It is found subfossil on raised beaches along the Red Sea. 



Klunziger, in his admirable work 'Die Korallthiere des Eothen 

 Meeres,' vol. iii. p. 78, redescribes this species and places it 

 amongst the synapticulate corals (1879). He restores Forskal's 

 specific name. 



Every body who handles a specimen of this coral must be 

 struck with its resemblance to the Oolitic genus Microsolena, and 

 also partly to Mceandrarcea. Superficially there is no distinction 

 between it and M.icro8olena ; but a careful examination of its 

 internal construction indicates that the aGB.nity is remote, and 

 that the genus Goseinarcea is not one of the Poritidse. In fact its 

 zoological position is amongst the synapticulate corals of the 

 Lophoserine subfamily of the Fungidse. 



Description of a Specimen q/° Coscinareea meandrina, Wir.,from 



Mergui. 



The corallum is low, convex above, encrusts, and has a thin free 

 margin. 



The base, where not encrusting, is a thin solid imperforate wall 

 or theca marked with distinct costse, wlaich are large and alter- 

 nately large and small where remote from the margin of the 

 corallum, and almost subequal and small at the margin, wliere they 

 are continuous with the long septa of the circumferential calices. 

 Towards the centre of the base the largest and broadest costse 

 become narrow projecting ridges ; and here and there near the 

 encrusting area the minuter costsB are sharply spinulose. 



There is no epitheca. 



