DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES. 149 



Family ASTROOCENID^E nom. nov. 

 Genus ASTROCCENIA Milne- Edwards and Haime. 



ASTBOCCENIA PUMPELLYI sp. UOV, 



PI. XVII, figs. 7 and 7a. 



Form of colony either palmate, lobate, or inorustin^. 



Corallites hexagonal, joined directly by their walls. Wall very narrow, 

 with an acute upper edge, sometimes transversely zigzag. Cahces very 

 shallow; diameter of calices, 1.5 to 2 mm. Columella styliform. Septa 

 usually 12; six reach the columella; occasionally there may be a few more 

 than 12, but this is rarely the case. There are some dissepiments. In one 

 corallite three or four were seen in the space of 1.5 mm. 



Locality.— Russells SpHug, ou Flint River, Decatur County, Georgia. 



(R. Pumpelly, collector.) 



Geologic occurrence.— Vicksburgian stRgc, Ocala group. 



This species has a decided resemblance to Astroccenia ornata of Duncan^ 

 from the chert formation of the Antiguan so-called Miocene. I am not 

 certain that the Antiguan species of Duncan is the same species as Astrocainia 

 ornata (Michelotti). Specimens of Antiguan corals have been submitted to 

 me by Mr. Robert T. Hill and Dr. J. W. Spencer; therefore I can make a 

 direct comparison between the two species of Astroccenia. Looked at super- 

 ficially the two corals seem the same. Astroccenia pimipelhji has delicate 

 thin walls and practically always six principal and six small septa; Astro- 

 ca^nia ornata Duncan has stout walls and nearly always eight large and 

 eight small septa; six large and six small septa seem to occur only in young 



calices. 



As Astrocmnia pumpeUyi possesses dissepiments, it would, accordmg to 



Tomes, not belong to Astroccenia,^ but as he states that he did not study 

 the type species of the genus Astromnia orUgnyana M.-Edw. and H., his 

 rectification of the genus can not be accepted. The observations of Tomes 

 do not coincide with those of Freeh and others, wlio note the presence of 

 dissepiments in species of Astr occenia.^ 



■ Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc. London, Vol. XIX, 1863, pp. 425-426. 



nbi<l.,Vol.XLIX.Nov.,1893.pp..^fi9et8eii. n v i t Pt TT 



3 Felix, Beitrage zur Keuntniss der Astrocoeuin.e : Zeitsohr. Ueutsch. geol. Gesell., V»l. L, Pt. II. 

 1898, pp. 247-256 ; oue plate. 



