ANNOTATED CATALOGUE OF THE SPECIES OF PORITES AND 

 SYNARiEA IN THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM, WITH 

 A DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF PORITES. 



By KIC'IIAKD KA'rillSUN. 



(With plates XV-XIX.) 



Tills list comprises tweutj^-three species of Forites and three of 

 Synanea. One species of Porites from the Brazilian coast is described 

 as new, and notes are given on Forites clavaria, furcata, astra'oides, and 

 mlida. From the collection of the United States Exploring Expedition, 

 Professor Dana described eighteen new species of Forites^ including* 

 variety mucronaia of P. nigrescens, and P. contigua Dana (non Madrepora 

 contigua Esper), which have since been recognized as distinct species. 

 Of these species, fourteen are now referred to the genus Foritts and 

 four to the genus ISynarcaa of Verrill, Tyjjes of all of Dana's species, 

 excepting Porites levis and Forites [Synariva) informis, are now in the 

 collection of the Is'ational Museum, which also contains the type speci- 

 men of P. tenuis Verrill, obtained by the IS^orth racitic Exph)ring Ex- 

 pedition. A large and fine series of the three common Antillean species 

 have recently been added to the collection from Southern Florida, and 

 two of the same species are well represented from Bermuda. 



The numbers iu i^arentheses refer to the record books of the National 

 Museum. 



Geuns I'OKITES Lamarck. 



1. Porites astraeoides Lamarck, 



Hist, cles Anim, saus Vert., ii, p, 269, 1816. — Ayassiz, Mem. Mus. Comp. ZooL, 



vii, No. 1, pi. 16, tigs. 1-1-i, 1880. 

 Bermuda; Bermuda Cent. Commissioners, 1876 (3189); G. Brown Goode, 1876, in 



exchange witli Wesley an Univer.sity (15846) ; G. W. Hawes, 1882(15519). 

 Nassau, Bahama Islands; U. S. Fish Commission str. Alhatross, 1886 (15.")14). 

 Key W>st, Fla. ; E. Palmer, 1884 (15r)17, 15518) ; H. Hemphill, 1885 (8897). 

 Eastern Dry Rocks, near Key West, Fla. ; E. Palmer, 1884 (15.520). 

 Dry Tortugas, Fla. ; Capt. D. P. AVoodhury, U. S. A. (1640) ; E. Palmer, 1884 (15521). 

 Old Providence Island, Carihhean Sea; U. S. Fish Conmi. str. Alhatross, 1884 



(15515). 

 Curasao Island, Caribhean Sea; U.S. Fish Comm. str. Albatross, 1884 (7236). 



The Bermuda specimens agree with those from Florida iu their mode 

 of growth, but differ Irom them in generally having rather larger cells 

 with the septa wider in the ujiper jmrt, making the cells appear less 

 deeply excavate, though they may be equally deep in the center. The 

 specimens vary considerably iu this iiarticular, and in some cases the 

 cells are comparatively shallow throughout. This species is described 

 by Mr. Goode as one of the most common in the shallow waters about 

 the Bermuda reefs, ranging from low-tide level to depths of 2 and 3 



354 



