110 BULLETIN OF THE 



among the Trochosmiliacese. The specimens of Ceratocyaihus ornatus used in 

 comparison are true Caryophylliae, while my Ceratoci/alhiis prolifer is a true 

 Asterosmilia, closely related to Asterosmilia anomala Duncan, from the San 

 Domingo miocene. It is one of the very few connecting links between the 

 "West Indian tertiary coral fauna and the recent one, while there are so many 

 between the European tertiary and the present West Indian deep-sea fauna. 



A specimen with calicular gemmation has three young ones of different ages 

 growing out of its calicle, one of them exceeding the parent considerably in 

 diameter. The latter was still living in the very small part of its calicle left 

 free, and had formed new septa against the outer wall of some of the younger 

 ones. The polyp has a well-developed outer sphincter, which contracts suffi- 

 ciently to cover entirely the tentacles, and close about two thirds of the calicle. 



I may as well remark here that Prof. Duncan's supposition, that the office of 

 the pali is to support an extra circle of tentacles, is not borne out in this 

 species, nor in any other paliferous coral of which I have had the opportunity 

 of examining the polyp. The pali generally show themselves through the 

 membrane of the buccal disk, which they appear to support. 



Kange from 76 to 94 fathoms, in three stations, off Grenada and Barbados. 



Balanophyllia palifera Podrt. 



A vertical section shows that the pali are true pali, separated from the septa 

 by a row of perforations. Large specimens have a few septa of the fifth order. 

 Eange from 82 to 164 fathoms, off Guadeloupe, Grenada, and Barbadoes. 



Trochopsammia infundibulum Pourt. 



A specimen brought up living has the polyp uniformly dark brown, with 

 thick tentacles, slightly different in size, according to their order, and nearly 

 in one circle. There appears to be no muscular circle outside of the tentacles. 



Range from 291 fathoms, off Grenada, to 424 fathoms, off St. Vincent. 



Stereopsammia ? rostrata Pourt. 



Aw/phihelia rostrata Pourt. 



This rather abundant coral shows in its younger branches decided Eupsam- 

 mian characters, the coenenchyma being perforated in the furrows even at a 

 distance from the calicles ; the secondaries are shorter than the tertiaries, 

 which meet in front of them. In old specimens this character becomes less 

 distinct, and the perforations are obliterated by an epithecal growth, which is 

 deposited chiefly on the back part of the branches to a thickness of as much as 

 two centimeters. The striae are never obliterated by it, but the fine spines 

 disappear gradually, and old calicles and foreign bodies become quite covered 

 by it. The projection from the side of the calicle, on account of which the 

 specific name was given, is very variable, even in the same stock, some calicles 



