THE STONY CORALS OF THE PORTO RICAN WATERS. 
297 
The West Indian species of Meandrina may be divided into two sections, typified by the mode 
of multiplication of the valleys. Milne-Ed wards & Haime recognized these characters, as their 
descriptions show, but they did not give them the importance that should be attached to them. The 
valleys in the mtvandrites section are usually arranged in a recognizably radial manner, radiating 
outwardly from the center of the upper surface of corallum (the valleys may be irregularly arranged). 
The other section is typified by M. brasUienm. In transverse outline the corallum is elliptical and there 
is often or usually a valley zigzagging along the longer transverse axis or parallel to it. The shorter 
valleys run perpendicularly outward from the longer transverse axis. This mode of growth is similar 
to that of Manicina areolata. 
The granulations on the faces of the septa and the septal dentations in Meandrina brasiliensis are 
coarser than in Meandrina mxandrites. These differences are very striking when the specimens are 
compared side by side. Pourtales many years ago called attention to the dentation of the septal 
margins of “ Pectinia ” mseandrites. 1 The dentations are small but perfectly distinct. 
The following species are included in Meandrina meeandrites: lamellosa Humphreys; pectinata Lam. 
(an exact synonym); pachyphylla Ehrenberg (also an exact synonym, the type was examined by me 
in the Museum fur Naturkunde at Berlin) ; quadrata Dana; disticha, elegans, and cariboo Duchassaing 
& Michelloti. The types of Duchassaing & Michellotti’s species were studied in Turin. Their 
Pectina quadrata and P. elegans are the same thing. The width of the valleys is from 13 to 15 mm. 
The specimen called P. quadrata often has the walls of adjoining series separated, or there may be a 
depression along the summit of the colline Avhere the two walls come together; in other instances the 
fusion of the Avails of the adjoining series is complete. In P. elegans the fusion is more often complete 
than in the former. I could find no basis for even varietal separation. The disticha and cariboo are 
the same, except for some difference in the shapes of the colonies. The A r alleys in disticha are from 8 
to 9 mm. Avide, in cariboo 8 to 10. They are narrower than in the specimens called quadrata and 
elegans. A specimen in the U. S. National Museum, from Belize, Honduras (A. E. Morlan, collector), 
has A'alleys 7, or less, to 15 mm. Avide and 8 or 9 mm. deep. Two specimens, also in the U. S. National 
Museum, from the Caloosahatchie Pliocene of Florida, show about the same variation. C'tenophyllia 
profunda Dana is placed questionably in the synonymy of meeandrites. Dana’s description is not 
sufficient to base a positive opinion upon, and I have not seen the type. 
Pectinia sebx Milne-EdAvards & Haime seemed to be based upon Seba’s pi. cvm, figs. 3 and 5, 
and Ellis & Solander’s pi. li, fig. 1 (Lamouroux, Exp. Meth., also pi. nr, fig. 1). All of these figures 
appear to me to be Colpophyllia gyrosa. 
Pectinia dance (Milne-Ed wards & Haime) groups with their brasiliensis. The salient distinguish- 
ing features are, dame possesses an epitheca; the costas are distinct only above it, where they project 
but little. The costas of brasiliensis consist of rows of tall, distinct, separated granulations. 
The result of the study of the species of Meandrina is to recognize in the Caribbean and Brazilian 
regions two species, viz, M. meeandrites and M. brasiliensis. “Pectinia sebx” is a doubtful species, as 
is also profunda of Dana. The locality of dame is unknown, but is probably from the Caribbean Sea. 
Two young specimens which appear to be M. mxandrites were collected, but neither shows the 
typical specific characters. The larger specimen (pi. in, and pi. iv, fig. 1) is 79 mm. long, 40 mm. 
wide, and 36 mm. high. There is one main A'alley parallel to the greatest length of the specimen, and 
subsidiary valleys are forming on each side. The form resembles that of Pectinia dome Milne-Ed wards 
& Haime A r ery closely. (See pi. v.) The second specimen is 35 mm. long, 16 mm. wide, and 22 mm. 
high. It is a simple coral, with one straight valley. These specimens are interesting, as they show 
what the young of Meandrina mxandrites probably is. 
Photographic reproductions of the type of Pectinia dame are given, pi. A r , for the purpose of 
comparison. The photographs were sent through the kindness of Prof. Edmond Perrier of Paris. I 
do not consider the Porto Rican specimens to be the same species as Pectinia dame, because the formation 
of subsidiary valleys begins earlier in the former, and the costae of dome show small spines above the 
epitheca and just below the calieular edge. 
From station 6080, off St. Thomas, Sail Rock; station 6087, off Oulebra, Point Mula light-house. 
Bathymetric occurrence, 15} to 20 fathoms. 
’111. Cat. Mas. Comp. Zool., No. iv (Mem., vol. ii), 1871, p. 68. 
