1870.] ' Porcupine 9 -Expedition Madreporaria. 



295 



were dredged up in the 1 Porcupine ' Expedition (No. 54, and to the north- 

 west of that spot in the cold area), at a depth of from 363 to 600 fathoms, 

 present singular variations of structure in the huds and calices upon the same 

 stems. A comparison between them and the well-known recent and fossil 

 Amphihelice, the fossil and recent Diplohelia, and the smaller specimens of 

 Lophohelice, leads to the belief that Amphihelia is identical generically 

 with Diplohelia, and very closely allied to Lophohclia. Indeed the di- 

 stinction between the Lophohelice and AmphihclUe is of the slightest kind. 



The species of the genus Amphihelia dredged up in the ' Porcupine ' 

 Expedition are five : — 



1. Amphihelia (Diplohelia) profunda, Pour tales, sp. 



2. oculata, Linnceus, sp. 



3. miocenica, Seguenza. 



4. atlantica, nobis. 



5. ornata, nobis. 



The species came from No. 54 dredging, and from the cold area to the 

 north-west in from 500 to 600 fathoms. 



The specimens are exceedingly beautiful, strong, and perfect ; and there 

 was much difficulty experienced in removing the polypes from the calices. 



1 . Amphihelia profunda, Pourtales, sp., has been noticed. It is a West- 

 Indian form closely allied to a Sicilian miocene species. 



2. Amphihelia oculata, Linnaeus, sp., is well known in the Mediterranean, 

 and has not hitherto been found in the Atlantic. 



3. Amphihelia miocenica, Seguenza, is a very common species in the 

 deep sea, but is rare in the miocene deposits of Sicily. Its fully developed 

 costal structures distinguish it from the other forms. 



4. Amphihelia atlantica, nobis, is a new species, large, bushy, and 

 with almost plain ccenenchyma, which is very abundant. 



5. Amphihelia ornata, nobis, is a new species closely allied to the mio- 

 cene form, but its ornamentation is most peculiar, and not continuously 

 costulate. 



Allopora oculina, Ehrenberg. — Several specimens of this very rare coral 

 were dredged up in No. 54, and one in the ' Lightning ' Expedition, not 

 far from the same spot. 



The type is in the Berlin Museum ; the locality whence it came is 

 unknown. 



The distinction between these massive and densely hard corals (whose 

 calices are principally on one side of the ccenenchyma of the stem) and the 

 Stylasters is very evident. 



M. de Pourtales has described a pretty red-coloured Allopora miniata 

 dredged in 100 to 324 fathoms off the Florida reef ; but it is very distinct 

 from the species discovered in the late deep-sea dredging expeditions. 



Allopora has no fossil representatives. 



Balanophyllia (Thecopsammia) socialis, Pourtales. — Six specimens of a 



