2 90 TABULATE CORALS. 



undoubted corals as Favosites among the Zoantharia, and 

 Heliolites among the Alcyoiiaria. Again, there is the import- 

 ant character that the corallum of the MonticuHporoids can be 

 shown to be almost always (I expect, always) dimorphic, con- 

 sisting of two distinct sets of corallites, of different sizes, and 

 mostly with a different internal structure. This last character 

 reminds us so strongly of the HclioporidcB — to which there 

 are other mentionable points of likeness — that I am at present 

 disposed to regard the Monticuliporidce as an ancient group 

 of the Alcyonaria. 



As for the relations of Monticulipora to other types of the 

 so-called " Tabulate Corals," the genus is separated from all 

 the Favositidce, including the similar-looking Stenopora, Lonsd., 

 by the possession of imperforate walls to the corallites.^ Ad- 

 mitting the absence of mural pores, in the want of direct evi- 

 dence to the contrary, we have only to compare Monticulipora 

 with a very limited number of types, of which the most im- 

 portant is ChcBtetes of Fischer. From this latter the present 

 genus is sufficiently distinguished by the non-amalgamation of 

 the walls of contiguous corallites, by the want of the curious 

 vertical ridge which is found in the interior of many of the 

 corallites of ChceteteSy and by the possession of two sets of 

 corallites in the corallum, one set of tubes being commonly 

 disposed in special groups. From Tetradium, Dana, Monti- 

 ailipora is sufficiently distinguished by its total want of septa 

 and by the dimorphic structure of the corallum. To Heliolites 

 and its allies the various types included under the general 

 name of Monticulipora present a considerable alliance, especi- 

 ally if we compare the structure of such a form as Fistulipora 

 [Callopora) incj^assata, Nich., with that of a form like Propora 

 tztbulata, E. and H. The absence of septa is, however, 

 sufficient to distinguish Monticulipora from the Heliopo7^idcs. 



^ As before remarked, it is not impossible that "mural pores" may yet be demon- 

 strated to exist in Monticulipora. This is the more likely, if we remember that 

 these openings have as yet been absolutely demonstrated in only two species of 

 Stenoporaj so that some exceptionally well preserved specimen, or some lucky sec- 

 tion, may bring them to light in the MonticuHporoids at any time. 



