300 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



The first family concerns us the most. It is composed entirely 

 of solitary corals. The wall is quite imperforate and not covered 

 by any outer sheath (epitlieca) , though sometimes there is a sort 

 of basilar sheath. The septa are free laminae with entire edges, 

 and often granular, which granules never unite from side to side 

 to form what are termed synapticidce ; there is no inner sheath 

 (endotlieca) so that the chambers are open for all their extent to 

 the base. In many species the columella is absent or the septa 

 unite in the middle (Conocyathus zelandice of Australia), but some- 

 times it exists, and between it and the septa there are certain 

 laminae arising from the base or the inferior portion of the septa. 

 These are called pali. In the Turbinolidce the pali have an exist- 

 ence independant of the cycles though they are in the line of 

 their prolongation. They are generally absent from the septa of 

 the last cycle. 



This peculiarity gives ground for subdividing the large family 

 into two subfamilies — 1. Caryophyllince, with one or many circles 

 of pali ; 2. Turbinolince, from which pali are completely absent. 

 The first subfamily is again divided into — 1. Oaryophyllacece : 

 one circle or crown of pali ; 2. TrocliocyathacecB : many circles or 

 crowns of pali. 



Genus Caryophyllia, Lamarck, 1801. 



Corallum attached and simple, with one row of pali ; wall 

 bare, more or less raised ; columella crisped ; pali broad ; costae 

 simple. 



Professor Duncan regarded a fossil coral from Muddy Creek 

 as belonging to this genus, but the specimens sent to him were 

 imperfect. A large series of well-preserved fossils has induced 

 me to refer this species to the genus Beltocyathus. We have no 

 true Caryophyllia known in the Australian seas, though the genus 

 is well represented in the Atlantic and British seas. We have 

 none fossil though simple pedicellate corals are also well repre- 

 sented, but they are intimately related to the existing forms, 

 and more in alliance with extinct European fossils than with 

 what survives in Northern seas. 



