98 THE BERMUDA ISLANDS. 



prevented more than a cursory examination of this locality, 

 which is made comfortable for collecting and wading during a 

 partial exposure above water of some three hours. All the 

 dredgings were confined to depths within 16 fathoms, which 

 also represents the greatest sounding made by us in the lagoons. 



ACTINOZOA. 



The true stone corals of the Bermudas are comprised, so far 

 as we now know, in some twenty -five species, the greater number 

 of which are represented by identical forms in the Bahaman oi' 

 West Indian seas. The genera thus far indicated are Oculina, 

 Mycedium, Astrxa, Siderastrsea, Pontes, Isophyllia, Mseandrina, 

 and Diploria. The genus Madrepora, one of the commonest of 

 the Bahaman and Floridian corals, appears to be absent. On 

 the south and east side of the island group the outer margin 

 of the growing reef, largely covered by a serpuline and ver- 

 metus growth, approaches to within a few hundred feet of the 

 shore, where it breaks the inflowing surf into a white crest. 

 Within the line of these breakers the depth of water is in 

 places as much as ten or twelve fathoms. The brain coral 

 (Diploria) and various gorgonians develop here in great profu- 

 sion, the huge yellow masses of the former appearing almost 

 everywhere at depths of from ten to twenty feet. Vast growths 

 of millepore also cover the shallower bottoms, presenting in 

 the ensemble a wonderful garden of animal development. 

 This profusion of coral growth is, however, surpassed on the 

 north side, where the reef recedes to a distance of some eight 

 or nine miles from the island -shores, enclosing an extensive 

 body of water whose depth is in general about eight or ten 

 fathoms, and more rarely twelve fathoms. Much the same 

 coral growth is indicated here as on the south side, the large 

 brain-corals preponderating by their masses. While, probably, 

 the greatest profusion of animal life is really met with on the 

 actual edge of the growing reef, this does not appear to be the 

 case with the corals themselves. At any rate, I was unable to 

 satisfy myself that there was any marked difference to be ob- 



