4 G. LINDSTRÖM, ACTINOLOGY OF THE ATL. OCEAN. 
The results of the dredgings of the naturalists of the ”Josephine” are of a high 
interest, as by them were brought up several species hitherto only known within the 
Westindian area and thus adding to our knowledge of the geographical distribution 
of the Atlantic Anthozoa. Seven species became thus known to occur on both sides 
of the Atlantic Ocean, viz. 
1. Caryophyllia? Pourtalesi DUNCAN. DLat. 53” 54' N., Long. 52” 11' WIiIHH- 980 
fms; off the Azores. 
2. Leptocyathus Stimpsoni Pourt. Coast of Florida; off the Azores and from the 
Josephine Bank. 
3. Deltocyathus Agassizi Pourt. Florida, Salt Island, Anguilla, off the Azores, 
the Josephine Bank. 
4. Amphihelia ramea Ö. F. MöLrLer, p. p. Virgin Islands, Mediterranean. 
5. Stenocyathus vermiformis Pourt. Coast of Florida, Virgin Islands, Azores. 
6. Schizocyathus fissilis Pourt. Florida, Virgin Islands, East Atlantic (38? 103 N. 
Fa W.) 
7. Diaseris crispa Pourt. Florida, Anguilla, St. Martin, Azores, the Josephine 
Bank. 
These, added to the previously known species ”), swell the list of corals common to 
both sides of the Atlantic to eleven. It may be remarked that all these corals, though 
not abyssal, belong to the deep regions of the sea, ranging from 100 fathoms to 980 
fathoms. In looking closer at these widely distributed corals, it is remarkable to find 
that most of them offer so small an amount of variability. The specimens taken 
off the coast of Portugal resemble as nearly as possible those of the same species from 
the sea off the coast of Florida. Some again, as Deltocyathus Agassizi and Lepto- 
cyathus Stimpsoni, species variable in a very high degree within the same locality, 
present almost identical varieties on both sides of the Atlantic. This circumstance, that 
species of so wide a geographical range are not at all affected as to their variability 
or that the same species shows the same varieties everywhere within its area of 
distribution, points to the conclusion that the variability of many species does not 
depend on their being widely distributed nor on the nature of their habitats, but 
must be effected by other causes. 
Bearing in mind the great variability of many other species, especially those li- 
ving in moderate depths, it is evident that various difficulties obstruct the way of the 
naturalist, who in his endeavours to describe and identify these animals has received only 
a few specimens of each species, whereupon to make his researches. We are often 
groping in darkness as to their affinities, not only in regard to the fossil but also to 
the recent, so very little being known of the animals themselves in the living state, 
and nevertheless, there may be some tendency to generalize on too insufficient data. 
Our present knowledge of the Anthozoa may be compared with the state of the Mala- 
cology many years ago, when the mollusca were classed as shellbearing and naked, 
1) Dr DUNCAN in his paper cites as common to the East and West Atlantic: Thecopsammia socialis Pourr., 
Fungia symmetrica Pourt., Caryophyllia elavus ScaccHr, Lophohelia prolifera PALLAS. 
