1900.] Marine fauna of Christmas island. 119 



III. On the Madreporaria collected by Mr. C. W. Andrews at 

 Christmas Island. By H. M. Bernard. 



There are in all 42 specimens including fragments, representative 

 of the following groups or genera : — 



Garyophyllince. Caulastraia. 



Dendrophyllia. Galaxea. 



Madrepora. Mussa. 



Montipora. Leptoria. 



Porites. Cceloria. 



Goniopora. Prionastrcea. 



Pocillopora. Agaricia. 

 Goniastra^a. 



Of these, one Madrepore, two Montipores, and one Goniastrcea 

 are described as new species, while it is suggested that the specimen 

 provisionally named Caidastrcea may belong to a new genus. 



The specimens are often very fragmentary, and those in spirit 

 are obscured by soft parts, making their determination difficult. In 

 most cases, however, the genera have been easily recognized, but 

 the specific identifications are entirely provisional. It is practically 

 impossible to work out small collections of Corals in the present 

 unsatisfactory state of Madreporarian systematics. The approxi- 

 mate determinations of the fragments will, however, be sufficient 

 guide as to the general characters of the representatives of the 

 several genera. 



The biological notes were added by Mr. Andrews. 



Caryophtllin^; M.-E. & H. 



There are three small solitary corals growing side by side, the 

 largest of which is 5*5 mm. high, evenly cylindrical, and 3*5 mm. 

 in diameter ; the smallest, also cylindrical, is 2*25 mm. in diameter 

 but with the base embedded so that the height is not ascertainable. 

 The specimens are in spirit, with the soft parts completely 

 obscuring the columella and pali, on which the generic and 

 specific characters of this family are founded. There are three 

 cycles of septa in both small and large specimens, of which the 

 primaries are slightly exsert, and apparently laterally granulate or 

 echinulate. The living flesh extends to a variable distance down 

 the outer walls. 



Genus Dendrophyelia de Blainville. 



Dendrophyllia ehrenberguana. 



Goenopsammia ehrenbergiana Klunzinger, Cor. iii. p. 50, pi. viii. 9. 



There are two specimens, which come nearer to this type in the 

 method of growth than to any other recorded species. The 

 difference between Dendrophyllia and Ctenopsammia is merely the 

 meeting of the septa in the former, which appears to me very 

 unimportant. Hence I have not hesitated to place these two 



