CARBONIFEROUS FOSSILS OF IRELAND. 185 



differ, except in the want of the calcareous support, the central portion being as soft as the external. The 

 HydrcB resemble the separate or single polyps of the last group, but are single, unattached, and capable of 

 locomotion ; they are of no direct interest to the geologist. Finally, we have the FungicB, which, although the 

 solid portion resembles that of the higher lamelliferous corals, is much less highly organized, being, in fact, a 

 mere gelatinous investment to the lamella; of the skeleton, which it thinly coats, without tentacula, mouth, sto- 

 mach, ovaries, or any other organs. 



Amplexus. Sow. 



Gen. Ch. — Cylindrical, divided into chambers by numerous, transverse septa, which embrace each other 

 with thin, reflexed, crenulated margins ; outer surface striated longitudinally ; inner surface ribbed with short, 

 equal lamella;, none of which reach the centre. 



Amplexus nodulosus. Phil. 



Amplexus nodulosus. P/iil. Pal. Fos. 



Sp. Ch — Irregular, elongate, tortuous, unequally swollen or nodular ; septa as in A. Soicerbii; surface 

 concentrically wrinkled. 



The irregular, nodular character of the tube, and strong, concentric wrinkles, are the principal characters 

 which distinguish this species from the A. Soicerbii. 



Amplexus Sowerbii. Phil. 



Amplexus coralloides. jSow. Min. Con. — Amplexus Sowerbii. Phil. Geol. York. 



Sp. CJi. — Cylindrical, regular, divided by plain, equidistant, transverse septa, with embracing, crenated 

 margins; surface nearly smooth; longitudinally striated. 



This remarkable coral, when young, is attached by a very slender, conical base, but as it increases in size it 

 becomes cylindrical ; the conical portion is less than one inch long, and is about half an inch in diameter, and 

 from this upwards it is cyhndrical. Now as we often find specimens upwards of a foot long, and an inch and 

 three-quarters in diameter, perfectly cylindrical, it becomes difficult to imagine how so long and heavy a body 

 could be supported on so slender a stem ; so that hence the interesting question arises, was the adult Amplexus 

 free ? My friend. Dr. Scouler, is known to have paid much attention to this interesting animal, and we may ere 

 long expect an able account of the species from his pen. 



Amplexus tortuosus. Phil. 



Amplexus tortuosus. Phil. Pal. Fos. 



Sp. Ch. — Cylindrical, tortuous ; septa simple ; marginal plates about twenty-four; surface longitudinally 

 striated and concentrically wrinkled. 



The septa not being plaited at the edges forms the most important distinction of this species from the 

 A. Soicerbii, it is likewise much smaller, more tortuous, and more equally cylindrical, than that species. Dia- 

 meter of tube about seven lines. 



TuRBiNOLopsis. Lmnour. 



Gen. Ch. — Inversely conical, terminating in a deeply concave, stellular disc; lamellae smooth, alternately 

 longer and shorter, notched on the edges ; no transverse septa. 



I am not aware of any character of generic importance by which to separate the present genus from the 

 old Turbinolia: or rather Cyathophyllum, if we except the alleged want of transverse septa in Turbinolopsis, 



3 A 



