﻿184 MADKEPORARIA. 



Calicles conspicuous, scattered, 1'5 to 2 mm. apart, 0*75 mm. in diameter; deep open 

 fossa. Two cycles of short, rather regular septa, the secondaries smaller than the primaries. 

 The latter spring directly out of the jagged tubercles which surround the calicles, except when 

 the latter are immersed in delicate reticulum ; in this case the aperture is clear and round, the 

 septa only appearing some distance below the surface. On the under surface the calicles are 

 smaller, rather more numerous, and generally surrounded with a protuberant coenenchymatous 

 ring. 



The ccenenchyma is a fragile, delicate reticulum, wliich forms in irregular patches 

 (generally giving rise to slight eminences or ridges) stout distinct trabeculis joined by very 

 thin junctions. These trabeculse at such points rise above the surface to form short ragged 

 tubercles, the long delicate points of which may meet and fuse like thin liyphal threads 

 spread over the surface. In the valleys and on the flatter surfaces the reticidum comes to 

 the surface as a delicate open lacework immersing the calicles. In some of the deep valleys 

 the calicles may be protuberant as thin, white, membranous but perforated cylinders visible to 

 the naked eye. The retictilum forms the substance of the coral except where stout trabeculse 

 have been developed. It is possible with a pocket lens to see down between the trabeculse, so 

 open and fragile is the ccenenchyma. 



There are two specimens of this coral which can, however, be fitted together, the smaller 

 being but a detached, jagged excrescence from the surface of the larger (see PI. XXVII.). The 

 two together show the luxuriance of the growth. It is worth noting that the tubercles are 

 specially developed on prominences and small branch-like lobes. This same feature is seen 

 also in M. hispida and M. trahcculata. As in this latter case, this peculiarity accounts for the 

 absence of the axial reticulum from the sections of broken knobs. 



The type specimen has encrusted the dead remains of a former growth. This latter 

 appears also to have grown in the same irregular amorphous fashion. There is no trace of 

 any of the preceding dead growth in the axis of the large detached excrescence (h) ; this fact 

 shows how richly the coraUum sends up its irregular masses. 



a. Murray Island, Torres Straits. 85. 6. 30. 3. (Type.) 



I. (Fragment of same specimen). 



112. Montlpora hispida. (PI. XXVI. ; PI. XXXIV. fig. 4.) 



Manopora hispiia, Dana, Zoophytes (1848) p. 496, pi. xliv. fig. 5. 



Manopora spwmosa, Dana (non Lamarck), op. cit. p. 495, pi. xliv. fig. 4. 



Mmtipora hispida, Milne-Edwards and Haime, Ann. d. Sci. Nat., (3°) Zool., xvi. (1851) p. 63. 



Montipora Tnmticulosa, Studer, Mit. Bern. Nat. For. Ges. (1880) p. 23, figs. 2a, 2&. 



Description. — Corallum typically forms a large circular convex plate supported on the 

 tips of the branches of former growths (or of other corals ?). From the central region of the 

 upper surface of this plate confused masses of thick lobes rise up, branching and fusing 

 irregularly. An epitheca appears irregularly on the under surface. Forms (younger?) 



