118 
ME. H. N. MOSELEY ON THE 
in shape, and often encrusting, commonly overgrowing the dead fronds of Lophoseris 
cactus , which is a principal component of the Tahitian reefs. The present species 
seems, however, to differ from M. tuberculosa in that its calicles are disposed over the 
surface of the corallum in well-marked and separated systems, and in this respect is 
more closely allied to M. flic at a, M. foliata, and M. Ehrenbergii as described by 
MM. Edwards and Haime*. 
In the fresh condition the growing tips of the lobes of the coral are of a bright 
gamboge-yellow colour, which shades off into a yellowish brown on the sides and bases 
of the lobes. The expanded zooids have the appearance of a close-set pearly white 
down upon the surface of the corallum. 
The zooids seem to be somewhat capricious in the matter of expansion. I made one 
attempt to obtain them expanded, in which I carefully cut off masses of the coral by 
means of a chisel, and transferred these to a glass vessel without lifting them above the 
surface of the water. The zooids did not expand. Mr. Murray succeeded on both 
occasions on which he collected specimens, although he exposed his to the air for a 
moment on transferring them to a vessel. Dana, Pourtales, and others speak of the 
peculiar difficulties attending the observation of the animals of Millefora. The 
corallum is so hard that it is almost impossible to break off a small flake without 
damaging the soft structures to such an extent that the animals fail to expand. The 
animals, as expanded on larger masses of the corallum, can only be examined with very 
low powers of the microscope, which, on account of the very small size of the animals, 
are unable to show sufficient details in their structure. A momentary view of one 
mouthless zooid was, however, obtained under Hartnack’s objective No. 4, eyepiece 
No. 3. I obtained the view of the expanded zooids only on the morning on which 
H.M.S. 4 Challenger ’ was steaming out of Papute Harbour. The animals remained 
expanded about two hours, but the motion of the ship interfered considerably with the 
investigation of them. 
A summary of the literature extant on the subject was given in the paper on Helio- 
jpora ccerulea above referred to. It is needless here to recapitulate. 
Methods. 
Sections of the corallum were prepared in the usual manner by grinding. Portions 
of the living coral were placed in various solutions for subsequent examination, viz. in 
absolute alcohol, chromic acid, and glycerine. Portions were further treated with 
osmic acid, and then transferred to glycerine or absolute alcohol. Fragments of the 
hardened coral were subsequently decalcified with hydrochloric acid, and the residual 
* Note, Feb. 28, 1877. — I have submitted a specimen of the corallum of the Tahitian species here treated 
of to my friend Dr. E. Beug&esunn', who is at present engaged in arranging and determining the collection of 
corals in the British Museum, and he has kindly determined it for me to be Millejaora nodosa, Esper, Pflanzen- 
thiere, vol. i. p. 199, Millep. pi. 1. (1791) ; mentioned by M. Edwards under M . gonagra, Hist. Nat. des Cor. iii. 
p. 230. 
