THE STONY CORALS OF THE PORTO RICAN WATERS. 
299 
Externally ornamented by low, flat, equal, densely granulate costte, which are distinct to the base; 
immediately below the calicular edge the costse may be slightly prominent. There are 3 complete 
cycles of septa, and a fourth cycle is present in 9 of the 12 half systems. The members of the fourth 
cycle fuse to the sides of those of the third, and the members of the third fuse to those of the second. 
The first, and second cycles reach the columella. None of the septa^are very exsert. The members of 
the first cycle are slightly the most prominent; those of the second not quite so prominent as those 
of the first, and those of the fourth are the least prominent. The margins of the third and fourth 
cycles are dentate; those of the first cycle entire; the margins of all members of the second cycle are 
broken off. Pali exist before all septa, except those of the last cycle. Each one consists of a more 
prominent, erect, somewhat rounded tooth, with other similar teeth below, which are scarcely to be 
distinguished from papillae on the upper surface of the columella. Columella, weak, spongy. Calicular 
fossa, deep, narrow at the bottom. 
From Porto Rico; more definite locality not given. 
There is one other specimen of this variety, probably a part of the same colony. It shows no 
additional' characters of value except that reproduction may be by lateral gemmation. 
The following are the species of West Indian Astrangids: 
Phyllangia americana Mil ne-Ed wards & Haime ( Stellangia reptans Duch. & Mich. -f- Astrangia 
phyllangoides Duch. & Mich.). 
Astrangia solitaria (Le Sueur) (-(- Astrangia neglecta Duch. & Mich. Astrangia granulatd Duch, 
& Mich.) . 
Astrangia astreiformis Milne-Ed wards & Haime (? + Astrangia, michelini Milne- Ed wards & Haime ) . 
Astrangia danse L. Agassiz, from the northeastern coast of the United States is very close to this species, 
but there are, in my opinion, sufficient differences to keep the two distinct. 
There are three astrangids found on the Brazilian reefs. One is Phyllangia americana-, another 
may be only a varietal form of A. solitaria, but probably is a distinct species; the third is an unde- 
scribed species, which I have named in manuscript, Astrangia rathbuni. 
The Tertiary species might be added to this list: Phyllangia floridana Gane. Pliocene, of Oaloosa- 
hatchie, Florida; Astrangia lineata (Conrad) and ( Ccenangia ) bella, (Conrad), Chesapeake Miocene, of 
the Southern Atlantic slope of the United States. 
The Astrangia ( Ccenangia ) marylandica (Conrad) , of Verrill and Gane, is, as, Gane has intimated, 
the young of Septastrea sexradiata (Lonsdale) . 
Astrangia expansa Vaughan, Jacksonian, Eocene. A. ludoviciana , Vaughan, Jacksonian, Eocene. 
A. harrisi Vaughan, Jacksonian, Eocene. A. wilcoxensis Vaughan, Midwayan, Eocene. 
The three species with which comparison should be made are Phyllangia floridana Gane, Astrangia 
lineata (Conrad) and Astrangia solitaria (Le Sueur). The corallites of Phyllangia floridana are not 
so tall, possess wider bases, the costse are more prominent, and the margins of the septa of the first 
cycle are not so exsert. The pali and columella are the same in both, and the septal dentations seem 
to be of the same character. The margins of the septa of the first and second cycles are entire in Ph. 
floridana. All of the septa of Astrangia lineata possess well-developed truncated dentations, and there 
are no differentiated pali. As already stated, this apparently should be regarded as a variety of A. 
solitaria (Le Sueur). 
Pourtales 1 says of .1. solitaria, “ All the septa are coarsely and bluntly denticulated.” All of the 
septa may be denticulate, or the margins of the first cycle may be entire or faintly erenate. The 
actual difference of var. portoricensis consists in the larger size of the corallites and their more 
distinctly turbinate shape. 
I have three fine colonies of A. solitaria for comparison, one from Honduras (W. A. Stanton, col- 
lector), property of the U. S. National Museum, and two loaned me by Dr. J. E. Duerden and collected 
by him in Jamaica. The size of the adult corallites is quite constant; the variation in diameter in 
the Honduran specimen being between 4 and 5 mm. The tallest corallite in the Honduran specimen 
is about 8 mm. The usual height is between 5 and 6 mm. Duchassaing & Michelotti’s figure of A. 
neglecta, (op. sup. cit.), pi. x, figs. 3, gives a good idea of the general appearance of the species. The 
characters of the septal margins have been noted. The septa of the third and fourth cycles are finely 
dentate; those of the first and second cycles are usually bluntly or crenately dentate. Occasionally 
the crenations may be faint, and very rarely a septum appears to possess an entire margin. 
1 111. Cat. Mus. Comp. Zool., No. IV, p. 79. 
