﻿86 MADREPORAEIA. 



ccenencliynaa over the margin of the aperture, which may' also be a solid ring from which 

 the septa project. 



Coenenchyma. The axis of the coral is occupied by a reticulum of stout threads, open in 

 the newer branches but dense in the basal portions of the stock. The thickening cortical layer 

 is characterised by a general tendency of the threads to radiate outwards, but it is not sharply 

 marked off from the axial layer. The reticular threads end at the surface in granules, small 

 jagged plates, or echijiulfe. The interstitial spaces are as a rule smooth, but the lower edges 

 of the calicles show a tendency to protrude. These protrusions may remain slight or may 

 develop so greatly that a fresh bud appears on their under surfaces, so that the minute calicle- 

 like twigs mentioned above are produced. Further buddings at the sides of these twigs give 

 rise to branches which, if calicles appear at their tips, look very like the t^igs of Madrepores. 



Tlie small specimen of this coral in the Museum is from Dr. IQunzinger's collection and 

 is a tuft G cm. high rising from a single narrow stalk about 1 cm. thick. On the reefs, these 

 tufts fuse together. Dr. Klunzinger's figure (pi. vi. fig. 7) shows one with two stems, and the 

 branches are much more massive and compactly fused together. 



Dr. EHimzinger says that the specimen is very near Ehrenberg's crista-galli and Dana's 

 nudiccps (= abrotanoidcs). As, however, the original figure of this latter shows it with tall 

 cylindrical papillte, I do not think that the affinity can be very close. The type seems to 

 stand alone as a very natural, variation in method of growth. Many Montipores put out 

 the lower margins of the calicles ; the development of these into branches seems to be the 

 chief characteristic of this species. 



On the label, in Dr. Klunzinger's handwriting, the locality is given " Koseir," but in his 

 description he says it occurs on the steep edge of the reef in the surf at Safaga, two days 

 journey from Koseir. The colour is said to be a brown yellow. 



a. Koseir (? Safaga). Dr. Klunzingep 



66. Montipora spongiosa. 



Pffrites spongiosa, Ehr., Korallenthiere (1834) p. 11-5. 



Montipora spongiosa, Klunzinger, Korallenthiere, ii. (1879) p. 38, pi. vi. fig. 3 ; pi. v. fig. 10 ; pL x. 

 fig. 10. 



Description. — Corallum grows in compact tufts of more or less upright, irregularly 

 swollen, knobbed and thickly branching stems ; the tips are finger-shaped, slightly angular, 

 and often, through fusion, somewhat flattened ; the stems are fused below to form irregular 

 plates. The stocks grow 18 cm. high, the end branches being 1 to 4 cm. long, 1 to 0*5 cm. 

 thick, when not flattened. 



Calicles very conspicuous and deep, 1 mm. in diameter, somewhat scattered, generally 

 more than a diameter apart. Septa irregularly and feebly developed, portions of two cycles. 

 Margin irregular. 



Ccenenchyma finely but loosely porous and rising up very slightly in the interstitial 



