ir>2 



THREE CRUISES OF THE " BLAKE.' 



sive distribution in the Atlantic, and is a common Caribbean 

 species. 



One of the most elegant of the West Indian corals is the pure 

 white Amphihelia rostrata (Fig. 473), which must have spread 



Fig. 473. Amphihelia rostrata. I . 



at least twelve centimetres. It has been dredged to a depth of 

 nearly 900 fathoms. Axohelia mirabilis (Fig. 474) is very 

 common in the Caribbean, and is rather variable. Many spe- 

 cimens are deformed by barnacles occupying the end of the 

 branches, which soon become entirely covered by the coral, 

 leaving only a small opening. As representatives of one of 

 the most natural of the families of corals, we mav mention 



v 



Thecopsammia socialis (Fig. 475) and T. tintinnabulum, of 

 which the living polyp is of a handsome pinkish orange color. 



