﻿FOVEOLATE MONTIPOK^. 65 



Under this heading I have grouped ten specimens which appear linked together, although 

 they vary greatly in details. They all, however, agree in being tufts o-f branches covered with 

 small crowded calicles with their six exsert septa. Tiiese latter are visible to the naked eye. 

 The tendency of the interstitial coenenchyma to rise into foveolate ridges, and even into points 

 and plates, varies greatly ; on some specimens, one side of a branch is smooth (PI. IV. fig. 6) 

 while the opposite side is roughened by interstitial swellings. Again, the interstitial ramparts 

 may be either reticular or else a delicate arrangement of flakes and granules (see PI. XXXII. 

 fig. .17). This last mentioned variety has a most remarkable superficial resemblance to Porifcs. 

 On the specimens which form compact tufts of short branches, the interstitial upgrowths are 

 usually very marked, giving the whole coral a rough look (see PI. IV. fig. 5). 



Of these specimens, I at first thought that the two from the Solomon Islands, which were 

 quite smooth on one side, might be If. ruhra, Q. & G. They were, however, linked on by the 

 foveolation on the opposite side, and by the characters and distribution of the calicles, to 

 seven other specimens from Tongatabu characterised by a very rich foveolation. These eight 

 specimens appeared to form a natural group which could hardly be identical with M. rubra 

 (for the characters of this latter type, see p. 45). Lastly, there is another specimen (j) which 

 had been identified by Briiggemann as 3f. digitcda. This may be one of the smoother 

 varieties having the same conspicuous primaries. 



The suggested synonymy with M. ■poritiformis of Verrill is due to the resemblance above 

 noted of some of the specimens to a branching Porites. Verrill's species was, however, from 

 the Loochoo Islands. It is worth noting that Briiggemann also emphasised the close connec- 

 tion between his M. digitata (j), his M. superficialis* and Verrill's M. poritiformis. 



a, I. Solomon Islands. Vienna Museum. 



c-i. Tongatabu. Coll. J. J. Lister. 



j. ? Australia. • .[Eegister Xo. 97. 6. 18. 29.] 



47. Montipora indentata. (PL V. fig. 5; PL XXXIL fig. 5.) 



Description. — Coralluai ramose; single cylindrical stems, 1 to 1"25 cm. thick, shoot up 

 for 2 to 3 cm. and then expand suddenly into a clump of thick irregular branches. The 

 stem may be slightly flattened, and then the clump of branches may spread out as an irregular 

 palm-leaf. The branchlets are 6 to 7 mm. thick. 



Calicles irregular, star-shaped, 0"75 mm. diameter, opening in the bases of slight 

 depressions. Septa irregularly developed, portions of two cycles, laminate exsert directives 

 not infrequently in connection with surface granules. Fossa inconspicuous. 



Ccenenchyma shows in the section of a branch an axial, coarse, filamentous reticulum, 

 surrounded by a slightly denser cortical layer, the transition being gradual. The cortical 

 layer is composed of short, irregularly thickened trabeculse. Near the base of the stem, the 

 whole section becomes so dense as to obliterate the distinction between the two layers. On 

 the surface of the branches, the coarse reticulum surges up between the calicles as large 



* Fide antea, p. 46. 



