562 A. M Verrill — Anthozoa and Hydrozoa of the Bermudas. 



Zoanthus dubius Les., op. cit., p 1817 (^non D. and M.). 



Plate LXVII. Figure 9. 



A few specimens were obtained on the reefs that appear to agree 

 with this species. The polyps are often slightly clavate and dis- 

 tinctly smaller (about 4"™ diam.) than those of Z. proteus and Z. 

 sociatus and form small open clusters, united by flat stolons. The 

 lower part of the column is covered with sponges and other foreign 

 substances; the ujDper part is soft and smooth. 



Protopalythoa, nom. nov. Type G. variabilis Duerdea. 



Gemmaria Duch. and Mich., Corall. Antill., p. 55, 1860, {non McCready, 1859). 

 Gemmaria McMurrich, The Berm. Is., p. 131, 1889; Actinaria Bahama Is., p. 64, 

 1889. Duerden, Jamaican Actinaria, i, p. 350, 1898. 



The name Gemmaria having been preoccupied in Hydrozoa, it is 

 necessary to give a new one to this group, if it is to be considered as 

 really distinct from Palythoa, from which it seems to diflier only in 

 the fact that the zooids are not united together laterally by coenen- 

 chyma, but only by stolons or based expansions. Some species of 

 Palythoa are not thus united for more than half their height, or 

 even less, and perhaps future discoveries may show a complete 

 gradation between the two conditions. 



The sphincter muscle is single ; the mesenteries are microtypic ; 

 the mesoglcea contains lacunae; the Avails contain grains of sand, 

 etc., making them more or less coriaceous. The zooids are some- 

 times moncBcious; sometimes dioecious. 



In renaming this genus I have intentionally assigned a new type, 

 selecting the species which has been most fully described anatomi- 

 cally. The first species named by Duch. and Mich. (P. Mnsei) 

 was not figured and was so imperfectly described that it cannot be 

 determined; not even the colors, nor the number of tentacles were 

 given. 



The second species {P. clavata) is said (1850) to have 30 tentacles, 

 and to have a brown body and violet disk and tentacles. It seems 

 to be very like P. variabilis, but the latter has 60 to 80 tentacles, 

 and is larger. 



Other closely allied species are P. isolata McMur., Bahamas ; P. 



fusca Duerden, Jamaica; P. McMurrichi Hadd. and Shackl.; P. 



Mutuhi H. and S.; P. Canariensis H. and Duerd.; P. Ileilprini 



Ver. = G. Riisei McM. {non D. & M.), see p. 560. The aflinities of 



G. brevis D. and M. are uncertain. 



