A. E. Verr'rfl — Bermudian and West Indian Reef Corals. 159 



But, as having an important bearing on the subject, I will state 

 that while clavaria (auth.), growing in irregular, stout-branched 

 clumps, is abundant at the Bermudas, in a variety of stations, both 

 in shallow water and on the reefs, and also in Harrington Sound, 

 P. furcata has never been found there by me, nor by others so far 

 as I can learn. This would certainly indicate that the latter is a 

 distinct species, with a different physiological nature, or with a differ- 

 ent embryology. It either requires warmer water, or else its free- 

 swimming larva 1 are too short-lived to reach the Bermudas in the 

 northward currents. Were the two forms the same species, differing 

 merely in form of growth, due to environment, they should both be 

 found at the Bermudas, for the conditions are varied there. 



Mr. Richard Rathbun (op. cit., 1887) has very fully described and 

 figured most of the various varieties of these two species. 



As for the name of this species, I cannot follow Vaughan in 

 adopting Porites porites for it, for such a course would be contrary 

 to the ordinary principles of elimination, which he, himself, employs 

 in similar cases. 



It is true that Pallas and all writers previous to Link (1807) 

 included nearly all the species of Porites then known under the 

 name Madrepora porites, which was a collective or generic group. 

 Esper eliminated one species as 31. conglomerata, and another as 3T. 

 nrenosa. Link eliminated another, the present form, by naming it 

 polymorphus. Therefore, the specific name porites, if used at all, 

 should be applied to one of the remaining species of those mentioned 

 by Pallas, as varieties.* 



* Pallas mentions first in his description (p. 324) a massive, gibbous species 

 if mass*, gibbae, tuberosas, tnnicatse," and on p. 325, " Notse," he speaks first of 

 "massas informes, gibbas," "ex India," with stars subequal to those of Mad. 

 ast roites= Orbicella annularis. 



This East Indian, gibbons, massive species, with large stars, was, without 

 much doubt, a Rhodarcea, probably R. calicularis (Lam.) E. and H., but possibly 

 the Chinese and East Indian form named R. Lagreneii E. and H. (diameter of 

 calicles 4 mm ), which may not be distinct from the former. 



Therefore, it seems to me best to restrict porites, as a species, to the former 

 and call it Rhodarcea porites, thus avoiding the repetition of porites and con- 

 forming with the principle of recognizing prior eliminations at one and the 

 same time. None of the species of true Porites have the "stars" much more 

 than 1.5 mm in diameter, rarely 2 mm . 



