152 EOCENE AND LOWER OLIGOCENE CORAL FAUNAS. 



are thicker at the wall; their faces graimlate. The character of tlie septal 

 margins could not be studied. In the best-preserved calices there appear 

 to be pali before both the first and second cycles of septa. In the thin 

 section both of these cycles of septa show thickenings on and near their 

 inner ends corresponding in position to the apparent lobes on the septa. 

 The calices are not preserved intact, but that 12 i)ali existed seems quite 

 clear. Endotheca very well developed. Some lias the appearance of being 

 synapticiilar, but recrystallizatiou has gone so far that the microscopic 

 detail is nearly always destroyed. The columella presents two quite differ- 

 ent appearances, depending upon the condition of the material. In the 

 best-preserved calices it has a knob-like upper sui-face, but in the worn 

 specimens it has a spongy appearance, as Felix describes for Stephanoccenia 

 forntosa} The structure of the columella seems to be as follows: There is 

 a central (axial) styliform or more or less compressed essential piece. The 

 thickened inner ends of the septa fuse among themselves and to this essen- 

 tial part of the columella in a more or less compact manner. The result is 

 a spongy-looking columella in a weathered corallum. This can not be 

 positively asserted, because, as already stated, tlie material is not satisfac- 

 tory' for microscopic investigation. The calicular fossae are shallow. 



Locality. — Soutliem California. 



Horizon. — Doubtfully Cretaceous. 



Types. — Of var. columnaris, PI. XVII, fig. 10, returned to Dr. J. C. Mer- 

 riam, ITniversity of California; of PI. XVII, fig. 11, presented to the 

 United States National Museum by Dr. Merriam. 



The species is based on three specimens, all of whicli were sent to me 

 by Dr. Merriam; two of the specimens he verj: kindly preseuted to the 

 National ]\Iuseum, and at liis request the species is named for Dr. H. W. 

 Fairbanks. 



Stcphanocamia fairhanksl appears to be quite closel}' related to iS7. formo- 

 sisshna (Sowerby) of the "Craie tuffeau of Uchaux, Gosau, Corbiferes," etc.; 

 but as I have no material of the latter species, a comparison of the two 

 species will not lie attempted. 



The type species of the genus is Stephanoccenia interseptu (Esper),- 

 recent and fossil in the West Indian region. Some notes on this species 

 will be appropriate in this connection, and will fill a gap in Felix's 



' Zeitschr. Deutsch. geol. Gesell., Vol. L, 1898, p. 253. 



^Miliie-Eihvaril.s and Hainie, Mon. Brit. Koss. Corals, Palifoiilogr. Soc, j). xxx. 



