80 ZOOPHYTES. 



polyps in these is much less near the summits than in the A. argus ; 

 and budding, therefore, from the extending margin, approaches infe- 

 rior budding in position and in character. Moreover, the striae of the 

 surface, which are prominent lamellse in the dichastic Astrseas (in 

 which the lateral union is most complete), become almost obsolete in 

 these species ; and they have, therefore, very nearly the characters of 

 the Oculinse among the Caryophyllidse. The Echinopores are other 

 examples of prominent polyps, and obsolescent strise to the coralla. 

 The transition is thus so gradual that scarcely a line of demarcation 

 can be laid down : and, in the A. ocellina, although the buds open 

 near the extending margin on the upper surface, as in the Astrseas 

 and Echinopore, the cell has generally a porous connexion internally 

 with a preceding one. 



Yet, in separating the A. argus and allied species from the Astrseas, 

 and placing them with the Caryophyllise and Gemmipora?, as proposed 

 by Ehrenberg, we should overlook the prominent affinities of the ani- 

 mals themselves as well as of their coralla; and even also the true 

 relations indicated by the mode of budding. 



In view of the above, it appears that the Caryophyllidse ought to 

 have prominent polyps, which is almost invariably the case ; this is 

 shown by their prominent calicles, except in certain species ( Astroites), 

 in which only the bases of the polyps secrete lime. 



81. Among the Cyathophyllidse, there is exemplified a mode of 

 terminal budding, which should properly be classed with lateral 

 budding, as it is not connected with a prolate growth of the upper 

 part of the polyp, and the buds proceed actually from the lower part 

 of the animal, although opening upward. It is illustrated in the 

 following outline figures, made as long ago as 1749, by Fougt.* 



Fig. 40. Fig. 41. Fig. 42. 



Although old, they illustrate sufficiently well the mode of budding to 

 which we refer. In figure 40, each succeeding polyp seems to come 

 from the centre or mouth of the one below, the parent yielding its 



* Linn. Amoen. Acad., i., tab. i. 



