318 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



Fam. Astreid^. Dana, 1846. 



Corallum compound, tissue imperforate or almost so, interseptal 

 chambers divided by traverses which are disconnected with those 

 of other chambers so as not to form floors ; this endotheca gives 

 the lower part of the visceral chamber a cellular structure which, 

 however, is never developed into a compact tissue ; septa more 

 or less imperfect on the outer edge, but never perforate through- 

 out ; no cosnenchyma ; the walls of the calices being united to 

 one another or confluent by means of the costse, which have 

 also intercostal traverses. Sometimes there is a false ccenenchyma 

 (peritheca) formed by traverses between the walls of contiguous 

 calices. 



Some little connection exists between this family and Turbino- 

 lidse in such genera a Ccelosmilia, Lophosmilia, and Cowsmilia, in 

 which the endotheca is rudimentary ; but all the family have 

 transverse interseptal subdivisions. It is divided into two subfamilies, 

 viz : — Eusmilinw or Astreai with entire and sharp edges to the 

 septa, and Astrceince with septal edges divided or spinous. 



These again are subdivided into — 1st, Trochosmiliaceoz, or those 

 which have the corallum simple; 2nd, Euphylliacece, or those which 

 are compound, but multiplying by fissiparity ; 3rd, Stylinacece, 

 compound and multiplying by budding. 



Sub. family Edsmilin^;. First Div. Trochosmiliace^. 



Genus Consomilia. Duncan, 1870. 



Corallum simple, pedicellate, conical ; columella of one or more 

 twisted laminae which extend from the base upwards ; endotheca 

 scantily developed ; septa with apparently simple margins and 

 variable with regard to the number of primaries. 



Of these corals Prof. Duncan says that they are the most in- 

 teresting our tertiary beds possess, having a curious union of 

 abnormal peculiarities. " A simple coral with pellicular epitheca, 

 having a beautiful herring-bone ornamentation, with an essential 

 twisted serialaire columella with endothccal dissepiments and 

 with plain septa which have the hexameral arrangement in some, 



