THE CORALS AND JELLY-FISHES. 841 



greatest amount of food, and it is for the puipose of feeding that they visit the oyster-beds in 

 such large droves. They are not always abundant in the same places, but seem to move about. 

 Professor Verrill thinks " their habit of coming up to the shore may be connected with their 

 reproductive season." They do not enjoy too brackish water, and oysters in such locations are 

 safe from their attacks. 



Asterias vulgaris ranges from Long Island Sound to Labrador, and A. Forbesii from Massa- 

 chusetts Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. The former species is, therefore, essentially a northern one, 

 and the latter a southern one, but over a certain region they overlap, and it is through this region 

 and just to the south of it that most of the damage is done. A. Forbesii is the shore species where 

 the greater part of the oyster-beds occur, and it must assume most of the blame for the thousands 

 of oysters destroyed on these beds. 



236. THE CCELENTERATES. 

 THE CORALS. 



Many of the common Florida Corals, from their graceful shapes and delicately sculptured 

 surfaces, are highly prized for ornamental purposes, and have come to possess a certain commer- 

 cial value. They are regularly kept for sale in most of the larger cities, such as Boston and New 

 York, and unusually fine specimens frequently command a high price. The group of Corals, as 

 popularly understood, includes members of two classes of the Cceleuterata, the Polyp Corals and 

 the FTydroid Corals, both of which, and especially the former, present a great variety of forms. 

 The principal ornamental Corals found on the coast of Florida are as follows : Among the 

 Gorgonians occur the Sea-fans (Gorgonia flabellum), and the Sea-feathers or Sea-plumes (Govrioina. 

 nciTiixa and Gorgonia setosa). Among the true stony corals are the . Stag- horn Corals (Mndrepora 

 cervicornix, prolifera, and palmetto) ; the Brain Corals (Meandrinu labyrinthiformiSj cliroxa, and 

 sinuosa, Diploria cerebriformis, and Manicina arcolata); the Fungus Corals (Agarida agaricites 

 and Mycedhnu fnnjUc) ; the Star Corals (Orbicella annular is and cavernosa), and many others 

 without common names, such as the Oculina diffuna and Isophyllia dipxacea. I nly a single species 

 of H.ydroid Coral is commonly seen in show collections ; it is the so-called Finger Coral or Sea 

 Ginger (Millepora alcicornis), the latter common name having reference to the smarting sensation 

 which it imparts to the skin, on handling, soon after it is taken from the water. Many foreign 

 species of Corals, belonging to the above groups, are often to be seen in the natural history stores; 

 they come mainly from the West Indies and the Pacific Ocean. Neither the precious Coral 

 (Corallium rubrum) nor any other species approaching it in value to the trade occurs in American 

 waters, but large quantities of the former are imported annually from Europe for making into 



jewelry. 



THE JELLY-FISHES. 



The Jelly-fishes, Sun-fishes, or Medusae, which are well known to the sea-coast inhabitants as 

 transparent and delicate floating animals, most abundant in the summer months, are, at times, a 

 source of great annoyance to the net fishermen. These watery creatures, whose bodies contain only 

 a very small percentage of solid matter, vary greatly in shape, and belong to several orders of the 

 Ccelenterata. They have often been described and figured in popular books on natural history, to, 

 which the reader is referred 'for details concerning their structure and habits. The commoner 

 species found on the New England coast are referred to as follows by Prof. A. E. Verrill. 1 



" A fine, large specimen of the beautiful Jelly-n'sh Tima formosa has been sent me by Mr. V. 

 N. Edwards, who captured it at Wood's Holl, April 30. He states that the same species was very 



1 Vineyard Sound Report, p. 449, 1871-'72. 



