166 



EOCENE AND LOWER OLIGOOENE CORAL FAUNAS. 



examine the types of the species. I have been unable to find any character 

 by vvliich the American specimens can be separated from those from 

 Bracklesham beds, Enghind. Mihie-Edwards and Haime give an account 

 of the affinities of B. desmophyUHm for the other European species of the 

 genus in their Monograpli of the British Fossil Corals. Their work can be 

 consulted for these notes. 



Balanophyllia desmophyllum var. microcostata var. nov. 

 PI. XIX, figs. 1 to 3c. 



Corallum horn shaped : base pointed, slender ; cross section elliptical. 

 Attached in its early stages, becomes free later. The corallum may be 

 curved in the yAowq of either the longer or shorter transverse axis of the 

 calice, or in a plane not containing either of these axes. Septa in five cycles, 

 their surfaces granulate. The costse delicate, composed of a rather regular, 

 usually single, series of granules. In some specimens, on the basal portion 

 of the corallum these costse are coarse, but they soon branch and become 

 fine and much crowded together. The intercostal furrows very perforate. 

 Wall moderately thick, somewhat vesiculate. Some epitheca on the lower 

 portion of the corallum. 



a Figured specimen. 



Locality. — Naiiafalia Bluff, Alabama. 



Geologic occurrence. — Naiiafalia liorizoii. 



Types. — United States National Museum. 



This variety grades directly into the typical forms of B. desmophyllum, 

 and is quite close to some varieties of B. irrorata (Conrad). It does not 

 grade into the latter, but the two are very close together, and it may be 

 confidently expected that subsequently they will be found to pass into each 

 other, and that B. irrorata is a descendant of B. desmophyllum through the 

 variety microcostata. This variety is close to Balanophyllia gravesi M.-Edw. 

 and H. of tlie Calcaire Grossier. 



