﻿FOVEOLATE MONTIPOE^. 63 



the transition between the creeping and the pm-eiy branching related forms. Specimens m and 

 11 lead on to the next group (8). 



46] 

 /c-w. Houtman's Abrolhos. Coll. Saville-Kent. 95.10.9.441 



50J 



(8) Detached Fragments. — Three specimens, which comparison with the above series shows 

 to be merely detached portions of this coral growing as free and independent stocks, are so 

 different that they deserve to be described in detail. I originally described them as varieties 

 of the type. (PI. VI. fig. 4.) 



Description. — Corallum a thick, more or less circular disc consisting of a compact tuft of 

 thin processes, swollen at their tips and radiating upwards, outwards, and downwards ; upon 

 these the specimens rest. 



Calicles conspicuous, numerous, evenly distributed, about 1 diameter apart, • 75 mm., 

 sunk in a delicate, open, thread-like reticulum. Two cycles of septa ; the primaries conspicuous, 

 reaching to about the haK radius circle ; the secondaries about half as long. 



The coenenchyma is much more delicately reticular than in the attached stocks. At the 

 growing swollen tips of the processes, the partially laminate streaming layer may appear at the 

 surface forming delicate line patterns. Elsewhere, the reticulum is delicately filamentous and 

 open, the ends of the threads pointing as elegant spikes in all directions. The upper portions 

 of the corallum, when level, show the same characters as are above described for the type. 



These are not the only specimens of detached portions of Montipores growing freely. 

 (See M. indentata.) It is interesting to note that these free stocks rest on the swollen ends of 

 processes which grow out freely in all directions. I at first thought that this method of growth 

 in these specimens of J/, nudiif or mis was due to the presence of crabs dwelling in the recesses of 

 the stock, but there are no traces of such lodgers in the free specimens of M. indentata. 



p. Houtman's Abrolhos. Coll. Saville-Kent. 95. 10. 9. 51. 



q, r. King's Sound, West Australia. „ „ 95. 10. 9. 78-77. 



45. Montipora angulata. 



Porifes angulata, Lamarck, Hist Anim. sans Vert., ii. (1816) p. 271. 



Montipora phrygiana, Milne-Edwards and Haime (non Esper), Ann. d. Sci. Nat., (3°) xvi. (1851) p. 61. 



Descrip)tion. — Corallum (complete form unknown) consists of flattened processes with 

 sharp angular edges, and of short explanate leaves curled up. Processes from 2 to 6 mm. 

 thick. 



Calicles are conspicuous, slightly more than • 5 mm. in size, with clearly cut margins. 

 The primaries are somewhat unequal and blunt, the secondaries feebly developed and few in 

 number. 



