﻿128 MADEEPORARIA. 



The character of the tubercles above described appears to be unique, and fully justified 

 the establishing of a new species. 



a. Thursday Island. Coll. Saville-Kent. 92. 12. 1. 285. (Type.) 



b. Warrior Island (a fragment). „ „ 



There is another specimen wliich shows many of the same characters, being a dish-shaped 

 growth creeping over a former tMcker and older gro^vth by which it was attached, and having 

 calicles both on the upper and lower surface very much as in the ty|De. It differs, however, 

 from the type in that the tubercles are for the most part cylindrical flames ; the scutate 

 character of the tubercles only appearing here and there in patches, e.g. round the bases of 

 the eminences. Wherever they occur, however, they tend to run in rows edge to edge, as 

 in the type. On this account it seems better to place it here. At first sight it appears 

 of quite a different type, the tubercles being closely and evenly distributed over the whole 

 surface, looking lilve fine grains to the naked eye, only seldom growing larger and more 

 prominent round calicular apertures. It is very doubtful, of course, whether a few patches 

 of scutate scales justifies its association with the type. On the other hand, this fact shows 

 the two to be related forms, and is of M'eight taken together with the similarity in method 

 of growth and formation of calicles. 



The section of the dead portion by wliich the specimen was attached, and on which it 

 spread like a dish with the edges curled up, is very thick, nearly 1 cm., with thick reticular 

 and trabecular layers. The trabecular, 5 mm. long, are stout and crowded, though separate 

 and distinct ; the junctions are short, thin cross bars. 



c. Albany Passage, Great Barrier CoU. SaviUe-Kent. 



Eeef. 



105. Montipora peltiformis. (PI. XXIII. figs. 1 and 2.) 

 Moniipm-a palula, Quelch {non Verrill), Chal. Eep., Eeef Corals (1886) p. 174. 



Description. — Corallum disc-shaped, thin, 2 to 4 mm., transmitting light especially through 

 its polyp cavities, growing horizontally across the tips of the branches of other corals. Hence 

 upper surface somewhat uneven and thrown up into small irregular knobs.* On the under 

 surface an irregular patchy epitheca, between the openings in which the corallum protrudes and 

 tends to hang down, as if to attach itself to fresh supports. The epitheca often forms a cup or 

 saucer-Uke border to such protruding portions of the corallum. 



Calicles on the upper surface crowded, nearly regularly distributed, deeply sunk among 

 the tubercles, about 0'5 mm. in diameter, with two, sometimes three, cycles of delicate septa, 

 among which the primaries are distinguishable. Directives often present, fossa distract and 

 deep. On the under surface the calicles (especially on the protrusions through the epitheca) 

 extremely minute, even to less than • 25 mm., and often densely crowded. 



The coenenchyma shows in section an open laminate streaming layer coming to the surface 

 at the growing edge. This layer occupies nearly one-half of the thickness of the corallum. 



* Due partly perhaps f,o worm-tubes. 



