7. Anthozoa (incl. Hydrocorallia). A. Zoantharia. 25 



but in no character do they show discontinuous variation. The author holds 

 that Doderlein, on his limited material, had no justification for reducing this 

 species to a variety of F. scutaria; having in his collection specimens which 

 might be referred to 8 or 9 of D.'s 13 varieties of F. fungites, he considers 

 that these varieties represent either vegetative variation or points in continuous 

 series of variations in different directions, and therefore refers all his speci- 

 mens (59) to one undivided species fungites. In Flabellum multifore n., 

 the polyps show as many as 7 or 8 stomodaea, along the centre of the disc, 

 but the dried corallum shows no trace of more than a single mouth. The 

 author also describes, with details of variations, Psammoseris (with which is 

 united Stephanoseris] 1, Siderastrcea 4 (1 n.), Agaricia (with Mycedium) 1 n. sp., 

 1 n. var., Fungia 3, Podabacia 1, Halomitra 1, Herpetolitha 1 n., Cycloseris 2, 

 Diaseris 1, Pavonia 1, Leptoseris 3 (1 n.), Ecliinophyllia 1, Paohyseris 1, Cosci- 

 narcea 2 (1 n.), Psammocora 4 (1 n.), 1 n. var., Flabellum 2 (1 n.), 1 var., Tro- 

 pidocyatlius 1 n., Heterocyathus 1, Paracyathus 2. 



Marenzeller( 2 ) describes colonies of Cladocora arbuscula with hypertrophied 

 primary polyp and concludes that this may be correlated with the fact that 

 these colonies were no longer fixed to the substratum. He describes Errina 

 mdcrogastra n., in which the presence of a Polynoid has produced hypertrophy 

 of the coenenchym leading either to the formation of a "gall" or to increase 

 in the thickness of some of the branches in order to accommodate the worm. 

 Specimens of Stenohelia profunda from the same locality also act as hosts for 

 the Polynoid. He also describes Caryophyllia 1 n., Stylaster 1 n., and records 

 Bathyactis 1, Madrepora 1, Flabellum 1, Desmophyllum 1 and Cryptohelia 1. 



Branner states that the coral reefs of Brazil extend, but are discontinuous, 

 from the Abrolhos Islands (18 S.) nearly to the mouth of the Amazon. The 

 only reefs well off the coast are on the Rocas Is., 225 km. from the mainland. 

 The reefs of the coast, which are both barrier and fringing, are usually narrow 

 10-50 m. in width, the barrier reefs are widest, some of them reaching 30 km. 

 Most of the near-shore reefs are thin (not exceeding 10 m.), the reefs which 

 grow further out are thicker and it is possible that some of the barrier reefs 

 (e. g. the Abrolhos and Cape St. Roque groups) reach 100 m. in thickness at 

 their outer edges. There were coral reefs on the Brazilian coast during Cre- 

 taceous and also during Eocene and Pliocene times. The coral reefs may 

 therefore have survived since the Pliocene, at least. The reef corals are 

 found both beneath and on top of the stone reefs with which they are con- 

 temporaneous; very probably some of the coral reefs of the coast grow upon 

 and conceal stone reefs. The coral reefs have no connection with eruptive 

 phenomena, with the possible exception of those of the Rocas. Many of the 

 coral reefs, having reached the upward limit of growth, are now dead and are 

 growing only laterally. The coral fauna of Brazil (28 sp.) is more closely 

 related to that of the West Indies than to any other. The dead coral reef 

 is being changed to dolomite. No recent coral reefs elevated above tide-level 

 are known on the coast of Brazil, but there are evidences of a late elevation 

 of the coast amounting to about two metres. There are also given analyses 

 of corals from various localities, a list of the corals collected and notes on 

 these (by A. W. Greeley). 



According to Gardiner ( 2 , 3 ) the present reef of Salomon Island is extending 

 outwards on every side on its own talus and the steep found around it 

 is simply the slope at which coral and other remains, from the reef above, 

 come to rest in the water, its face everywhere is singularly barren. The 

 evidence points to the impossibility of any upward growth being in progress 



Zool. Jahresbericht. 1905. Coelenterata. e 



