A. E. Verrill — Bermudian and West Indian Reef Corals. 77 



forms, referred to this species by Vaughan, realh' belong to one 

 species. It is certain that too many species of this group have been 

 admitted by Edw. and Hainu;; Duch. and Michel.; and others. 

 But Gregory has gone to the opposite extreme in uniting M. clivosa 

 ■=filo(irana^ etc., to this species, from which it differs very plainly. 

 The latter does not occur at the Bermudas. 



Much diversity of opinion has prevailed as to the correct name for 

 this species, as shown by the above synonymy. Apparently none of 

 the names in use for members of this genus in works previous to 

 Lesueur's memoir are available, except M. cerebrum Ellis and Solan- 

 der, which was evidently based on the most common form of this 

 species. Their description, though brief, is characteristic, and they 

 also give the vernacular name, " Brainstone," which is still in use in 

 the Bahamas and the Bermudas. But it was also undoubtedly 

 included by Linne, Pallas, Ellis and Solander, Esper, and other 

 writers of the 18th century under several other names that now 

 apply more strictly to different species. 



It appears to me that M. sinuosa of Ijcsueur could be retained 

 for this species, were it the first available name that clearly applies to 

 it. Vaughan rejects it because Lesueur referred doidttfidUj to the 

 Madrepora sinuosa of Ellis and Solander (probably from memory 

 alone). But the latter belongs to a widely different genus, and has 

 no particular resemblance to this species, so that there can be no 

 danger of confusion in this case. Lesueur described his species 

 under a different genus, as if it Avere new. His erroneous and use- 

 less S3'non3'm, given with doubt, should not invalidate his name. 



Moreover, Vaughan adopts viridls, the name of one of the color- 

 varieties described by Lesueur, for the species. There can be no 

 certainty that this variety pertains to 3L sinuosa, for Lesueur gave 

 to it no characters except the green color. It is well known that the 

 green color, so frequent in coral animals, is generally due to a para- 

 sitic, unicellular, vegetable organism and it may occur in almost any 

 species of reef corals, so that one could never be certain of the 

 difference or identity of two allied corals having this color, even in 

 the same locality, without stud^'ing the hard parts. On this account 

 also, the name viridis should not be adopted for this species. In 

 this case the name viridis is not connected directly with any specific 

 characters and therefore has no claims for recognition. The same 

 remark Avould apply to the other " varieties " of Lesueur. They are 

 not recognizably characterized. The next distinctive name, not 

 based on color, appears to be strigosa Dana, 1846. 



