A. E. Verrill — 3ermudian and West Indian Reef Corals. 05 



But several recent writers, especially Mr. Gregor}^ and Mr. 

 Yaughan, have seen fit to make several radical innovations of this 

 kind, changing the long current names of various genera and species 

 to make them comply with more rigid modern rules of priority. 



In a number of cases, however, they have been unfortunate in 

 choosing or adopting the new names, so that their nomenclature has, 

 in such instances, no more permanent foundations than the older ones 

 they displaced, as will be shown later. 



Therefore, I have thought it desirable to look more deeply into 

 this subject, and to go as nearly as possible to the root of the matter, 

 and so have made several necessary changes that otherwise I should 

 have chosen to have left untouched. 



The changes in the application of the names Mceandrina, 3Icean- 

 dra, Manicina, Madrepora, Acropora, Favites, etc., are among the 

 more notable instances of this kind. However, if they must be made, 

 the sooner the better. 



MADREPORARIA. 



Family Mseandridae Ver., nom. nov. 

 Mceandrinidce Verrill, Comm. Essex lust., v, p. 32, 1866. 



This family is intended to include all those meandriuiform genera 

 in which the zooids remain more or less united in series, and when 

 living do not in expansion raise the disk above the calicinal walls or 

 collines, and the astreiform corals that increase by fission. 



The coral may have the calicinal centers scarcely distinct, along 

 the bottom of more or less elongated calicinal grooves, and the tenta- 

 cles not in circles around the mouths (subfamily Mceandrince). Or 

 they may be perfectly distinct and marked by the radiating arrange- 

 ment of the septa, as well as by the aggregations of the columella, 

 and the tentacles forming circles, {TrachyphyllhKB, Faoithiw). 



The septa are rather finely dentate or serrulate and have a paliform 

 lobe, with an emargination above it which marks the situation of the 

 tentacles and border of the disk. The increase is chiefiy by contin- 

 uous incomplete fission, but in many cases exothecal budding also 

 occurs (see pp. 68, Tl). Most of the corals in this family are massive 

 and some gi"ow to great size. Nearl}'^ all are tropical reef-builders. 

 The new name of the family is due to the necessary transfer of the 

 name Mceandrina to the family Eusmillidce, (see p. 66, note). 



TRA^s. Conn. Acad., Vol. XI. 5 October, 1901. 



