BULLETIN 59, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MrsKI'M. 97 



This species is nearly allied to P. nspera by the structure i)f the cells anil surface of ihe cienen- 

 chyma, but is remarkable for its peculiar frond-like branches, destitute of distinct verrucje. It is 

 possible, however, that it may eventually prove to be only an extreme variety of that species. 

 /'. informis Dana differs in its irro<riilar mode of jjrowtb and in the absence or rudimentary condition 

 of the septal. 



Remarks. — In growth form this species resembles the large clumps of /' h't/ulata, 

 l)iit is distinguished ))v tho ohsolesceiico, of the verrucif. In jiluccs there? are moder- 

 ad'ly developed verruca', bringing /*. fritndnxa very (?!os(! to /*. ll(/i(lutu. Th(! 

 calicos in tho former are slightly larger and more open; the soi^ta, except th(^ one 

 that joins the cokunella, are not so strongly developed. 



I have seen only the type of P. fvonJuM., No. 1276, Yale University Museum, a 

 fragment of which is in the United States National Museum. No specimens con- 

 necting it with P. ligulatii have come to my notice, but it may ultimatelv prove 

 to be a form of that species, in whicli the verruca> are almost suppressed. 



6. POCILLOPORA MEANDRINA Dana. 



Plates .\1V, ti.L'^^. :!, 4; I'lalr X.Xll, li-s. 1, l.i, 2. L'a: I'lat.- Will. 



1846. Pocillopora rerrucuKU (part) L).\xa, Zixipli. Wilkes Exi)l. Isxped., ji. r>-2'.l, \<\. i., ficr.s. 3, 3<(. 



(Not MailrepoTtt vi'rrucoxa l"".llis and Solander). 

 1846. Pocillopora meandrina D.\N.\, Zooph. Wilkes Expl. Exped., ]>. .'iS:;. pi. i., ligs. ti, 6a, (i/<. 

 1860. Pocillopora meat! dri nil IMii.ne Kow.vkd.s, Hist. Nat. Corall., Ill, p. 307. 

 1864. Pocillopora nobilis Veruili., Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., I, p. 59. 

 1869. Pocilliporanobilis Verrill, Proc. Essex Inst., VI, p. 97. 

 1869. Pocillipora nobiliK vslT. taberosn Verrim,, Proc. Essex Inst., VI, p. 98. 

 1869. Pocilliporn meandrltui Verrili., Proc. Esse.x Inst., VI, p. 98. 

 * 1886. Pocillopora nobilis QfEi.cn, Reef Corals, Challenger Rept., p. 68. 

 1886. Pocillopora verrncoxa Qielcii, Reef ("orals. Challenger Rept., ji. 69. 

 1888. Pocillopora nohilis Fowi.ek, Quart. .Icuir. Micros. Sci., n. s.. XXVIII, p. 425. 

 1901. Pocillopora nobilia f^TViJER, Zool. .lahrb., Syst., L, p. 400. 

 1901. Pocillopora nobiUs var. Iiibrrosa Stcder, Znoi. .lahrb., Syst., I., p. 4iK). 

 1901. Pocillopora meandrina Sti'dkr, Zool. .lahrb., Syst., L, p. 400. 

 'Pile original description of /'. iiiriindriiKt. is as follows: 



Ccspitose, neatly hemispherical; branches lamellar, oft<>n sinuous, nearly simple, J to \ an inch 

 thick, 1 ti) 3 inches broad, neatly vcrrucDsc, sunnnits naked. Curalhnn with the verrucica little oblong, 

 angular, sometimes proliferous, with the cells of the same ijuite large (often J of a line); star ami 

 columella indistinct. 



This species reseml)les the i/randix and cler/anx, but has more angular verruca- arising from the 

 fewer and much larger cells that constitute them. The texture, moreover, is lighti'rand more cellular. 

 It forms neat hemispherical climips, 6 inches in diameter, with broad, naked, meandering summits to 

 the folia, separated by intervals of about a third of an inch. The verrnc'.i' are very nearly even and 

 cover the sides of the branches nearly (ir ipiitc In tlu'ir liases. 



I have been able to study the type of /'. ii/iinit/rhni. No. I'.^lO. in the Yale Uni- 

 versity Museiun. and Prof. W. T. Hrighiim has sent one jyracticaiiy typical s])ecimen 

 to the United States National Musetiin. 



Professor Verrili so long ago as IStJii recognized the close allinities between his 

 /'. viihllis and Dana's /'. iifiiiiilrinn. remarking conceiiiing the latter. *' It is doselv 

 allied to P. nahilix, hut has mostly broad. i)li(ate(l and (■on\ olntcd. short, frond-like 

 32.301—07 7 



