A. E. Verrill — Bermudian and West Indian Reef Corals. 1 05 



rouglilv griinulated. Paliforiu lobes small and thin. Columella 

 usually rather snuill and loose ; formed of small twisted processes 

 from the inner edges of the septa, but variable in size. 



Thickness of the larger mass from St. Thomas, about oO™"' ; 

 diameter, 125'"'" ; diameter of calicles mostly ;5 to .'5.5"'"' ; rarely 4^'"\ 



This species is found on the Florida Reefs and throughout the 

 West Indies. It has not been found at the Bermudas. St. Thomas 

 (coll. C. F. Hartt, Yale Mus.). In the Amer. Museum, New York, 

 there is a large turbinate mass, 12 to 14 inches in diameter and 

 about 10 inches high, from Jamaica. 



Mr. Pourtales put Madrepora pleiades Ellis and Sol. and 31. 

 stellulata E. and H., as doubtful synonyms of this species. The 

 original descriptions and figures of both those species are too imper- 

 fect for definite determination, having been based on badly beach- 

 worn specimens, superficially examined, and rudely figured. 



Mr. Gregory adopted stelbdata as the name of this or an allied 

 fossil species, and \n\t' hyades under Orbicella acropora. Yet Dana's 

 description and figures are vastly better than those of Ellis and 

 Solander. It seems incredible that such an error should have been 

 made in so recent a work. The stellulata of Dana (ex. Ellis and 

 Sol.) is an Orbicella, and is quite likelj'' to be the same species named 

 stelbdata by Ellis and Sol. Surel}^ Dana had as good reasons for 

 his oj)inion as Gregory had. Therefore, it seems best to follow 

 Dana's determination of that name, as being the prior one, and also 

 because it eliminates a ver^^ doubtful and useless name. See p. 97. 



As for pAeiades (Ellis and Sol.), that is so doubtful a form that it 

 has been interpreted in many different ways. According to Edw. 

 and Haime it is the same as their Heliastram acropjora, and this 

 seems to be the prevailing opinion. But the description and figure 

 would apply just as well or better to certain East Indian species of 

 Solenastrcea. Hence it is best to eliminate the name by considering 

 it the same as Solenastrma pleiades (Dana). There is no reason for 

 thinking that it was a West Indian coral. 



The fossil Solenastrma stellulata of Gregory may not be this 

 species, for it has larger costns, and much thicker and more solid 

 exotheca and walls, while the septa of the third cycle are repi-esented 

 as narrow and straight. The figured sections resemble more nearly 

 some of those seen in Orbicella excelsa, to which I am inclined to 

 believe that his figured specimens belong. 



The Madrepora hyades Ellis and Sol. was a Siderastrcea, and has 

 no relation to Dana's species. 



