AFFINITIES AND ZOOLOGICAI POSITION 77 



the possibility that Monticiilipora may truly belong to the 

 Polyzoa rather than to the Coelenterata ; and on this point I 

 prefer at present to come to no absolutely final conclusion, 

 though my opinions lean decidedly towards the latter as a 

 proper resting-place for the genus. It must, however, be 

 evident, that in supporting (as many palaeontologists now do) 

 the Polyzoan affinities of Mojiiiculipora, little or no weight 

 can in future be attached to the likeness which the genus 

 shows to Heteropo7^a. It may be also pointed out that, in 

 our present ignorance of the miiinal of Heteropora, it is per- 

 haps not entirely without hazard that we should unhesitat- 

 ingly assign it to a place among the Polyzoa. I do not at 

 all overlook its resemblance to many undoubted Cyclostom- 

 atous Polyzoa, nor am I in any way prepared to deny its 

 Polyzoan affinities ; but I cannot entirely ignore the fact 

 that the pore-canals, septal spines, and tabulae, which are 

 now known to exist in some species of the genus Heteropora, 

 are, at any rate, as reconcilable with its reference to the 

 Coelenterata as to the Polyzoa. 



(7) Leaving Heteropora out of sight, there are no other 

 forms of the Polyzoa to which Monticulipora makes such a 

 near approach as to render any very close comparison neces- 

 sary. In any case, also, it is clear that very little weight 

 indeed can be attached to mere external resemblances in form 

 and general aspect in a matter of this kind. Thus we find the 

 common Favosites Canadensis^ Billings, sp., of the Devonian 

 of Canada, to be so entirely similar in the form and appearance 

 of its colonies to examples of Fistitlipora, M'Coy, that it was 

 unhesitatingly referred to this genus (which Dr Lindstrom re- 

 gards as clearly Polyzoan) by Mr Billings and myself. Dr 

 Rominger, however, showed that it has "mural pores" of the 

 regular Favositoid type — a discovery which I have myself 

 verified — so that in place of being a Fistulipora, and there- 

 fore, according to Dr Lindstrom, a Polyzoon, it is a true Per- 

 forate Coral. A position among the Favositidce has similarly 

 been now established as the right one for Stenopora, Lonsd., 



