4 ■ M. FOSLIE. [1899 



doubt rather widely dispersed. It forms a thin crust surrounding 

 a compressed coral, about 21 cm. long and .12 cm. broad, with 

 an irregiilar and rather rough surface. The crust frequentl}^ is 

 but 1 rnm. thick, here and there somewhat thinner. It elings 

 closety and rather firmh^ to the substratum, in most places sen- 

 ding forth a great many processes partly and most frequently 

 short and wart-like, partly longer and branch-like, varying between 

 I and 4 mm. in height and 1 and 5 mm., generally about 2 mm. 

 in diametei', and these processes sometimes carry other wartdike 

 excrescences. However, the uneveness of the crust is in the main 

 caused either b}-- the substratum or the growing over of extraneous- 

 objects, especially F^oraminifera, and it should be borne in mind 

 that the appearance of several of the said processes maj^ be ac- 

 counted for in the same ^vay. The conceptacles of sporangia agree 

 with those in the typical form with the exception of genei-ally being 

 a little smaller, or 600 — 750 jj- in diameter, and the roof intersected 

 with 70 — 80 muciferous canals. Besides more closely and firmly 

 clinging to the substratum than the t}'pical form, f. funafutiensis 

 especially differs from that as regards the structure. On that point 

 I have been in doubt whether it pei-haps represents a separate spe- 

 des, but only a solitary fragment of the specimen has been exa- 

 mined and here a great number of Foraminifera grows together 

 with the alga or sticks to it, overgrown little by little and in some 

 parts of a section even forming almost alternate layers with the 

 latter. Therefore the structui-e is rather irregular especially with 

 regard to the h^/pothallus. The latter is often feebly developed, 

 in the examined fragment not forming regular curved cell-rows as 

 in the typical form, but frequently more or less bent and rather 

 short rows with irregular or elongated cells up to 24 ij- long, but 

 commonly shortei-. The perithallic layers nearh' agree with those 

 in the typical form, although often less regular than in the latter 

 owing to the disturbing intluence in the development caused by 

 animals or divers extraneous objects, the cells, however, as a rule 

 being of the same shape and size as in the said form. Therefore, 

 I should be most inclined to consider the present specimen as a 



