A. E. Verrill — Bermiidicoi and West Indian Reef Corah. 11.3 



Family Mussidse Ver. 



Fasciculate, glomerate, massive, and sometimes simple corals, 

 increasing by lission, and with strongly dentate or spinose septa, 

 without a paliform lobe. Calicles generally large, sometimes united 

 in short or long series, but always with distinct centers and radial 

 septa. Polyps much exsert in expansion, actiniform, with large 

 tentacles. 



Isophyllia Edw. aud Haime (emended*). Rose Corals. " Cactus Corals." 



Musna {pam) Dana, Zociph., p. 173, 1846. 



Symphyllia (^^ars) Edw. aud Haime, Ann. Sci. Nat., xi, p. 236, 1849 ; Corall., 



ii, p. 373, 1857; Duch. and Mich., Corall. Antill., p. 69, 1861. 

 hophxjllia Edw. and Haime, Pol. Foss. Paleoz., p. 87, 1849 ; Hist. Corall., ii, 



p. 974, 1857. 

 Mijcefophi/Uia {2xirs) Edw. and Haime, Compt.-rend., xxvii, p. 491. 1848 ; 



Hist. Corall., ii, p. 375, 1857 (2d section). 

 Lithopliyllia (pars) Duch. and Mich., Corall. Antill., pp. 67, 68, 1860, young, 



(>ioii Edw. and Haime). 

 UlophxjUia (pars) Bruggmann, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., Oct., 1877, p. 312. 

 Symphyllia (pars) Duncan, Revision, Journ. Linn. Soc, xviii, p. 91, 1884. 



This genus, as now restricted, includes a group of Mussldw in 

 which the calicles, when mature, are large and open, isolated or in 

 series, with numerous large, strongly serrate septa ; the serrations 

 are either subequal, or else larger toward the columella, which is 



* The genus, as here limited, corresponds with that of Edw. and Haime of the 

 same name, plus certain forms referred by them to Symphyllia and to Mycefo- 

 phyllia {M. Danaana E. and H., Hist., p. 377, pi. D4, fig. 2). Most of their 

 species of Symphyllia are simply Mussce with coalescent walls. So Symphyllia, 

 and Isophyllia cannot be united in bulk, as was done by Duncan and by Pour- 

 tales, \inder either name. Symphyllia should be dropped and its species should 

 be distributed to Mussa and Isophyllia, according to their structure. But if 

 retained at all, even as a subgenus, it should be used for the typical East Indian 

 forms, like S'. radians E. and H. 



I cannot distinguish in Mycelophyllia Danaana E. and H. any characters apart 

 from Isophyllia. 



Nor can I find any good reason for separating Vlophyllia. or at least the typi- 

 cal species, widely from Symphyllia and consequently should consider such 

 species as nearly related to the massive Mussa;. The only difference from 

 Syinjjhyliia, as stated by Edw. and Haime, consists in the denticles of the 

 septa being larger toward the columella, while in the latter the distal ones are 

 the larger. But I have studied specimens of crispa, the typical sjiecies, (see p. 

 131) and have found the teeth variable in this respect; in some calicles the larger 

 teeth were distal, in others proximal, in one specimen, and these differences may 

 be observed on the septa of a single calicle. The fossil foi'ms of Edw. and 



