277 



a specimen I sent him, and lias written me, that in his opinion 

 the polyp is new. 



This species would come under the family of Caryophyllida^ of 

 Dana, though his description certainly seems inexact, or at least 

 ambiguous, when he says ; " coralla within not transversely septate, 

 surface not lamello-striate ;" for some of the genus Caryophyllia 

 (e. g. Caryophyllia arhuscula) have dissepiments, and the exterior 

 of some species is striate, (e. g. O. pocillum, &c.) This family is 

 represented in the classification of Edwards and Haime by parts 

 of the families, Eupsammidaj, Turbinolida?, Astreida', Oculinidte, 

 and Cyathophyllida?. The jiresent genus has all the characters 

 of the Turbinolida3, but cannot be put with them, on account of 

 the toothed lamellae ; whereas Edwards expressly says : " The 

 lamellar lines never separate at their exti'emities, either singly 

 or in bundles, to form crenellations, teeth, spines, or lobes, and 

 the free edge of the lamella remains always entire." This only 

 shows how unphilosophical are the family characters given by 

 some of the most eminent authorities. It must be pretty plain 

 that this genus should make one of the natural group that in- 

 cludes Turbinolia, Desmophyllum, Flabellum, Cyathina, &c.. yet 

 it cannot be admitted there, according to Edwards, because the 

 grains on the sides of the lamella3 are continued so as to project 

 a little beyond the edge. 



This genus would fall under Dana's tribe of Caryophyllacea, 

 which is characterized by " numerous tentacles in two or more 

 series," inferior gemmation, when any, and many-rayed cells, and 

 corresponds to parts of Edwards's Sections, Zoantliaria aporosa, 

 perforata, rugosa, malacodermata, and tabulata. This Tribe and 

 these Sections would be called, by some systematic writers. Sub- 

 orders. These great discrepances between distinguished authors, 

 and that, too, on the threshold of classification, may perhaps be 

 accounted for by the fact that the classification of Dana is 

 founded on the polyps themselves and their skeleton, while that 

 of Edwards and Haime rests principally on the ultimate struc- 

 ture of the skeleton or polypier. A single instance will put this 

 difference in a clear light. Edwards puts Madrepores, Porites, 

 and Dendrophyllige in the same Sub-order, (^Zoantliaria perfo- 

 rata^ because they all have holes through their walls ; but then 

 the Dendrophylliifi have numerous tentacles, in two rows, and a 



