A. E. Verrlll — Bermudian and West Indian Reef Corals. JO" 



Vai'. hifundihiduni Ver., var. nov. 



Tliis is similar to palmata, but it forms broad cu|)-likt' or funiiol- 

 shaped corals with a nearly even rim, without prominent lobes or 

 (limitations. Florida Reefs, Bahamas, etc. 



Variety alces (auth.,.^ non V>2iW^)=perampla Horn, is like palm.ata, 

 but with longer and narrower, thick, digitate fronds. 



The name, J/, alces, was first applied by Dana to specimens said 

 to have been collected in the East Indies by the U. S. Exploring 

 Expedition, I believe that these specimens are still in the U. S. 

 National Museum, where I saw them many years ago, but without 

 careful study. A careful reexamination of the types would be 

 required to determine whether they be identical with the West 

 Indian form usually called alces. Possibly the locality given by 

 Dana was erroneous. But he also gives special differences in the 

 form of the corallites, which he says are tubular and not nariform. 

 Therefore it seems best to use perainpla for this variety. 



Yar. columnar is Ver., var. nov. 



This variety forms large, cylindrical, or long-conical, tapering- 

 columns, sometimes 6 to 10 inches in diameter at base, and 4 to 6 

 feet or more in height, without branches. There is a large conical 

 specimen from Cumana in the Mus. of Comp. Zoology. 



Varieties palmata and alces ^^pjerampla grow to great size. The 

 trunk may become 12 to 18 inches in diameter, with the fronds 

 spreading out to the breadth of 15 to 20 feet, and sometimes attain- 

 ing a height of 16 to 20 feet or more. The broad, spreading fronds 

 of adjacent trees of this kind may come in contact and partially join 

 themselves together, so as to form large submarine arches. Divers 

 describe the appearance of such growths, when seen from below, as 

 somewhat resembling the trunks and branches of large forest trees. 

 (See also Dana, Corals and Coral Islands, ed. ii, pp. 126, 127, 187-t ; 

 ed. iii, pp. 120, 127, 1890.) 



Var. cervicornis also grows to a large size, though much less mas- 

 sive than palmata. Tree-like specimens are often 10 feet high and 

 broad, but are difficult to transport. The American Museum has 

 three large ones from the Bahamas. Thej' are about four to five 

 feet high and six feet broad, with the main trunk about three inches 

 (7o™™) in diameter. The terminal branches are long and divergent, 



