132 The Ainerican Geologist. March, 1895 
Tin: Coit.vi.i.rM. 
The coralliiui of Furosltes forhesi var. occidcnfalis begins 
with a single eorallite, as in J'/eiirodicf.i/inu* and attains a 
maximum size ol' (i or 7 em., liaving in geneva! a glol)Ose or 
pyriforni sha])e. Increase takes place by lateral and intersti- 
tial growth. Although the two modes of growth are really 
identical, for convenience the development of each will be 
treated separately, and for tiie same reason the regular in- 
crease of the colony has been separated into different stages. 
In all representatives of this genus, and in F. forhe.si no 
less, new buds are introduced regularly in the angles between 
older corallites. The practice is only a little less determined 
when the buds are introduced about the periphery instead of 
in the body of the corallum. This habit, nearlj^ as much as 
the examination of specimens, has led the writer to distin- 
guish different stages in the growth of young coralla and to 
assign to each stage later than the second a definite number 
of cells. These particulars are at present minor details, and 
have little or no bearing on the main points of this paper. 
Stage I. — The first stage consists of the initial cell alone. 
This at first is conical, but later becomes pyramidal or pris- 
matic in form through the pressure of adjacent corallites. 
During this stage it is also slightly curved, so that a dorsal 
and a ventral side may be distinguished. Subsequent growth 
appears to be straight. 
The initial cell is usually procumbent and attached firmly 
to some object of support. The side of attachment is most 
commonly the dorsal, more rarely the lateral, but never the 
ventral side. This upturning of the corallite is probably due 
to an attempt of the polyp to rise into a position favorable 
for food and growth. 
Only two specimens belonging to this stage have been ob- 
served. In many young colonies, however, the initial coral- 
lite, together with the point of attachment, show plainly 
through the epitheca, thus rendering it possible to determine 
with some certainty the relative ages of many of the periphe- 
ral cells. 
Stage II. — When the initial corallite iias attained tlie 
length of from .5 to 1 mm., it gives off four buds (b). This 
*HtM'chiM-. 1S!)1. Trails. Conn. Acad., vol. viii., p. 207. 
