]]\.st-JnJiun Species of ^adrcpor a. 21 



by Sloaiie * in 1707. Sloane used the word in describing 

 tlic three t'ornijj of ^J(lt/^•e/)ora which are now <^euerully known 

 as M. jHilmata, M. ccrvicornis^ and M. prolifera. Linnteu.s 

 accepted the term as the name of a species which he called 

 Millepora viuricafa in 1754 and Madrepvra muricata in 17G7 f- 

 Linmeurf founded the species to include all the Madrejiorw 

 with an arborescent branching coralluni. It was adopted in 

 the sense of cither Sloane or Linnaeus by subsequent zoologists 

 until 18J6, when Lamarck J broke up the ^J. muricata^ L. ct 

 auct., into tive sj)ecies and abandoned Linniwus's specific name. 

 For the West-Indian Madrepont; he tbunded the species 

 M. jKiImata, M. cervicornis, and M. prolifera. Lamarck's 

 course of action was adopted by all students of corals until 

 liSOO; in that year Prof, lleilprin suggested that the West- 

 Indian branched and palmate forms of Madripora are members 

 of the same species. " I feel doubtful," says Prof. lleilprin §, 

 " if the palmate form of the corallum, as seen in M. palmata, 

 M.JlaheUumj and M. alces (East Indies), is in itself a character 

 sufficient to distinguish the s[)ecies from those forms, agreeing 

 with the palmate types in other respects, in which the corallum 

 is strictly digitate. My associate, Mr. J. E. Ives, has called 

 my attention to the tendency in the direction of digitation 

 which many individuals of the palmate species exhibit. This 

 is carried so far in some of the specimens contained in the col- 

 lections of the Academy of Natural Sciences that it becomes 

 ditiicult, if not really impossible, to class the individuals." 

 By the digitate tyjjcs Prof, lleilprin i)resumably means 

 J/, cervicornis, for M. prolifera he kept quite distinct. The 

 same conclusion was reached and extended in 1893 by Brook i|, 



wlio is malung a detailed study of the pul^vpes of the "West-Indian corals, 

 shows that, like myself, he had beeu misled by deference to Brook's 

 opiuion. It therefore seems to me advisable to publish the paper, aud 

 it is issued exactly as written last June. Mr. Duerden .-^ays : — "iielyiuj;; 

 upon Brook's statement that he had met with intermediate .specimens of 

 ce-rvicor7iis aui\ p'tl}ntita, 1 Avas inclined to regard them all [includin<jf aki- 

 funiiis] as onespecie.^. I have examined acres of Madrejioru growth with 

 the objL'ct of iinding such intermediate forms, but without any succe.*.-*, 

 allhougli such would be expected cousidering that prolifera and palmata 

 grow tngi.'ther."] 



* Hans Sloane, 'A Voyage to the Island.'* Madera . . . Jamaica,' vol. i. 

 (1707) pp. 51- ■)3, pi. xvii'i. tigs. .'{, 4, pi. xvii. tigs. -J, ."3. 



t Liniueus, Svst. Nat. ed. x. p. 7tt2, ed. xii. p. 1J79. 



t Lamarck, llist. Nat. .\nim. s. \eH. vol. ii. 27s, 281. 



§ A. Heiliirin, "The Corah* and Cond-reefs of the Western AVaters of 

 the Cuilf of Mexico," Troc. Acad. Nat. Sci. I'hil. 18!K), p. ;30J. 



II Geo. Brook, " The Uenus Madrepora,'' Cat. Madrep. lirit. Mu-tiini. 

 vol. i. 1893, pp. 2y-yO. 



