42 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



These characteristics obviously differ from those species of Conopora previously described. In the 

 latter the cyclosystems are complete and regular, although one (or two) of the adcauline 'teeth' 

 between the dactylopores in C. major (Hickson & England, 1905) tend to develop more strongly than 

 the others, thereby linking the genus Conopora to Crypthelia (Broch, 1936, 1947). This, however, is 

 fundamentally different from the present case, where some of the adcauline dactylopores evidently 

 disappear, whereas no indication of a 'tongue' can be traced, which might be parallelized with the 

 tooth of Conopora major or the lid of Crypthelia. 



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Figs. 8-1 1. Conopora pauciseptata from St. 2493. (8) Part of the anterior side of the stem with two cyclosystems of the 

 median row and one 'displaced' (lower left) at the basis of a branch. (9) Gastropore in side view from a ground section; 

 dactylotomes and lower openings of the dactylopores visible. (10) Median section through the cyclosystem of a decalcified 

 specimen, d, dactylozooids; c.w. wall epithelium of the chamber wall closing over the gastropolyp, g. (n) Section through 

 a male ampulla with its efferent duct, e.d. (8) and (9) x 20; (10) and (11) x 60. 



A comparison of the cyclosystems of the Discovery fragment with those of the previously known 

 Conopora species furthermore reveals that the numbers of dactylopores are remarkably reduced. In 

 C. tenuis, Moseley (1878 ; Broch, 1936, p. 87) found in 128 cyclosystems an average of 15-45 dactylopores 

 (variation from 12 to 19), and in C. major in 72 systems 13-22 dactylopores (variation from 9 to 16). 

 In the Discovery species the table (p. 41) shows a total variation in the present fragment (42 systems 

 counted) from 3 to 11, with an average of 7-07 only. The fragment thus occupies an extreme position 

 as to numbers of dactylopores in the cyclosystems. 



The diameters of the cyclosystems generally measure some o-6-o-8 mm. In terminal branchlets the 



