GENERA OF CH^TETID^E AND MONTI CULIPORID.E. 329 



Genus Beaumontia, Milne-Edwards and Haime, 185 1. 

 (Pol. Foss. des Terr. Pal., p. 276.) 



The genus Beaumontia was founded by Milne-Edwards and 

 Haime {loc. cit. supra) for the reception of certain Carbonifer- 

 ous and Devonian Corals, to which they ascribed the following 

 common characters : — 



" Corallum generally massive ; the corallites usually prismatic 

 and amalgamated by their walls, but occasionally partially free. 

 The walls thin, provided with an epitheca. The tabulae vesi- 

 cular, or, at any rate, irregular, occasionally exhibiting upon 

 their surface septal striae." 



The distinguished French observers just quoted regard 

 Beaumontia as corresponding in the series of the ChcetetidcB 

 to Michelinia^ De Kon., in the series of the Favositidcs ; and 

 they assert that the walls of the corallites are destitute of 

 mural pores. If this last character be certainly established, 

 then the genus may be regarded as undoubtedly distinct ; but 

 the general resemblance of the corallum in the species of Beau- 

 montia to Michelinia would rather lead one to suspect that 

 mural pores may really exist, and that the genus is truly refer- 

 able to the Favositidcs. Not, however, having had any oppor- 

 tunity of examining specimens of Beaumontia, I am necessarily 

 unable to pronounce any opinion on this point. I may add, 

 however, that Dr Lindstrom (Ann. Nat. Hist, sen 4, vol. 

 xvill. p. 16) refers Beattmontia to the Favositidcs ; while Prof. 

 Martin Duncan (Third Rep. on the Brit. Foss. Corals ; Rep. 

 Brit. Ass., 1 87 1, p. 135) regards the genus as being properly 

 referable to the Halysitidcs. I am not aware, however, of any 

 published evidence which would positively decide between 

 these opposing views. 



