MARINE ALGA) OF BEAUFORT, N. C. 383 
FLORA OF CORAL REEFS. 
The flora of the coral reefs is predominantly southern, of the 47 identified species 
and varieties found there (Table 2), 32 (68.1 per cent) being recorded for the Florida- 
West Indies region and 14 (29.8 per cent) being known from New England. 
Comparing the three collections made on the principal reef, we find the species 
occurring as follows: 
Species of algz identified for coral reefs. 
Date collected. Recorded for— 
New England. |Florida-West Indies. 
eee eee eee 
Number. | Number.| Per cent.| Number.| Per cent. 
8s. 
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A Sue STs Se Gas ego JOIN ODOC OOD IDOARD ES UCACh EE ae erPEOeEmnat aa 10 45°4 20 90-9 
This southern relationship is more striking when it is remembered that the visit 
to the reef in May was made at a time when Beaufort Harbor bore the spring flora, 
having 90.5 per cent of the species common to New England and only 33.3 per cent of 
the species common to the Florida-West Indies region. At this time several northern 
species which occur in this locality only in the spring were found on the reef. The 
small proportion of the species collected in August, 1914, which are common to other 
regions is due to the fact that four of these are new, while six are new to North America. 
If these species are excluded, the figures are New England 4o per cent, Florida-West 
Indies 100 per cent. Similarly, if two species new to North America collected in July 
and August, 1915, are excluded, the figures for this period are New England 50 per 
cent, Florida-West Indies 100 per cent. It could not be illustrated more forcibly that 
this flora is southern in its nature and that the species which are common to New 
England are those which are generally distributed and occur along the entire coast. 
On all trips there were obtained from this reef species which were not found 
growing elsewhere in this region. In May, 1907, ten such species were observed, eight 
being distinctly southern, one being distinctly northern, and one being generally 
distributed. In August, 1914, there were observed, besides the ten species that are 
new or new to North America, eight species not found elsewhere in this region, seven 
being distinctly southern and one being generally distributed. In July and August, 
1915, there were collected, besides the two species that are new to North America, 
nine species not found elsewhere in this region, seven being distinctly southern and 
two being generally distributed. It is thus seen that the flora that in this region is 
confined to the reefs is overwhelmingly southern in its relationship. Only four identi- 
fied species were found in all three collections from the reef, while 14 were obtained in 
two collections, and 29 were found only once. This is probably an indication not so 
much of a seasonal distribution as of the abundance of the species occurring there and 
our ignorance of them. It is highly desirable that a thorough study of these reefs be 
made. 
