FAMILIES AND QENEEA OF THE MADEEPOEAIIIA. 177 



to form a compound corallum with two or more calices. Tlie base 

 broad, flat, un symmetrical, tumid, containing a Sipunculid worm, 

 and perforated for it. Calice circular, close, or a figure of 8, 

 or round, open, shallow. Columella spongy, well developed, 

 deep. Septa numerous, many joining near the columella. Wall 

 stout, porous, often enlarged at certain spots around the calice. 

 Costse not present, but replaced by series of very small granules, 

 coalescing into papillae or small striae. 



Distribution. — Recent. Chinese seas, Burmese seas, North- 

 Australian seas, Philippines, E. Africa and islands. 



The porosity of the wall, the relations of the septa, and the 

 absence of pali separate the genus decidedly from StepJianoseris. 



III. Alliance DENDROPHYLLIOIDA. 

 Colonial Eupsammidse, with well -developed calices and septa. Colu- 

 mella variable in development, spongy, lamellar, or absent. Ccencnchyma 

 variable. Dissepiments rare. 



Genus Dendrophyllia, Ed. & H. 



Subgenus Ccenopsammia, Ed. & H. 

 Genus Placopsammia, Reuss. 

 Genus Astropsammia, VerrilL 

 Genus Pachypsammia, VerrilL 

 Genus Stereopsammia, Ed. & H. 

 Genus Calostylis, LindstrSm. 

 Genus absorbed : — 



Brassyia, B, Wright. 

 Ccenopsammia, Ed. & H., becomes a subgenus. Aulopsammia, 

 Reuss, is not a Madreporarian. 



G-enus Dendrophyllia, Milne-Edwards Sf Jules Haime^ Hist. 

 Nat. des Corall, vol. iii. p. 112 (1860). 

 Syn. Brassyia^ B. Wright. 



Colony generally dendroid and high or low, corymbose or caes- 

 pitose, or forming clumps ; increasing by gemmation, which is 

 lateral or subbasal. Corallites rather large, cylindrical, cylindro- 

 turbinate, more or less elongate. Calice subcircular, deep. Colu- 

 mella more or less developed, often large. Septa barely exsert or 

 not, thin, close, those of the fourth cycle well developed, and the 

 septa of the last cycle or cycles bending to their predecessors and 

 uniting or not to them. Walls subcostate near the calices, 

 covered with rough vermiculate grains in rows, with irregular 

 spaces between. 



LINN. JOUBN. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. XTIII. 12 



