A. FE. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands; Coral Reefs. 281 
increase by pairs, to the right and left of the directives, so that 
they vary in number up to full maturity. The number of tentacles 
and mesenteries in the full-grown polyps seems to be fairly constant 
within rather narrow limits. 
The Bermuda reef species all have short tentacles. The species 
with long tentacles mostly belong to Epizoanthus and Parazoan- 
thus, and are found chiefly in deeper or colder waters. 
Protopalythoa grandis Verrill. Figures 124-128. Plate xxx, fig. 2. 
Protopalythoa grandis Verrill, Trans. Conn. Acad., x, p. 563, pl. Ixvii, fig. 6, 
1898. 
This common species is one of the largest American zoanthids. 
It usually occurs in large groups, coated with white sand, and united 
together at base by broad membranous expansions, but when the 
clusters are small the polyps may be united by narrow stolons (figs. 
124, 125). 
ie 
eS Pig 
Prac 
Figure 126.—Protopalythoa grandis. A group of adult and young, yellow vari- 
ety, x14; a, an adult polyp with 64 tentacles, partially expanded. From 
a colored drawing by A. H.V., from life. 
The column may be of almost any form, according to the place of 
growth and state of expansion. In many cases it is short and cylin- 
drical, but spreading distally in expansion (figs. 126,127). Very often 
it is clavate or trumpet-shaped, narrow at base and regularly enlarg- 
ing distally, as in figs. 125, 128. In expansion the disk may be flat 
or concave, but when very fully expanded it becomes convex and 
reflexed, as in figs. 124,125. The length of the column varies, in 
adult polyps, from 1 inch or less to 2 inches (20-50™™"); diameter of 
contracted summits, 8 to 13™"; of expanded disks, 12 to 18™™. The 
tentacles are numerous, usually 60 to 68; sometimes 80 in the largest 
