224 
The above mentioned characteristics (small costal spines, axial 
fossa divided into parts and stronger granulation of the smaller 
septa) seem to be constant peculiarities by which the specimens 
are to be separated from F. echinata. According to the faet that all 
the adult specimens are colonial forms in which the original axial 
fossa is divided into secondary calicles these specimens have to 
be classified with the genus Herpolitha. 
In the species Fungia echinata a number of previously des- 
cribed so-called species have been united (cf. Dbderlein 1902, 
p. 101, 102). Firstly I compared the original diagnoses of these 
„species“ with my specimens with small costal spines, but none 
of these agree exaetly with the specimens in my material. In the 
descriptions of two of these forms, viz. Herpetolitha Ehrenbergii 
Leuekart and Fungia crassa Dana, mention has been made of their 
colonial form. The costal spines of//. Ehrenbergii hav q approximately 
the same size as those in Fungia echinata (cf. Leuekart, 1841, 
Taf. II, fig. 3), and therefore my specimens cannot be identified 
with it. As for Fungia crassa, Dana States that the lower surface 
is crowdedly echinate and his figure (1846, PI. 19, fig. 13) shows 
that the costal spines have about the same size as in F. echinata. 
Moreover I have photographs of the type - specimen of Fungia 
crassa in the United States National Museum which prove that the 
costal spines of this form are mueh larger than those of the colo¬ 
nial specimens in my material. 
The species described by Gardiner (1905) as Herpolitha sim¬ 
plex and which afterwards (1909) was classified by this author 
among Fungia agrees in all essential characteristics with the speci¬ 
mens in my collection possessing small costal spines. I have 
examined the type-specimen of this species and I am fully con- 
vinced that the specimens in my material undoubtedly are repre¬ 
sentatives of Gardiner’s species, which has to be replaced in the 
genus Herpolitha. In the type-specimen the costal spines are very 
small and low (fig. 70), the axial fossa is divided into secondary 
calicles and the septa of lesser prominence are more strongly 
granulated than in Fungia echinata (cf. Gardiner 1905, PI. XCI, 
fig. 13). As already stated before these characteristics are also found 
in my specimens. These latter, however, differ from the type-spe¬ 
cimen in being somewhat thicker. In correspondence with the thickness 
