£ 
Fossil Corals of the family Cyathophyllide. 185 
The Acervularie have a small cup-like cell, prominent within the 
summit and forming its centre, and are very proliferous from the sum- 
mits. The characters of the genus require more study before it can be 
considered as established on sufficient grounds. 
This genus was instituted by Schweigger for the species figured by 
Fougt in the Amenitates Academicee, (Corall. Balt., i, tab. 4, fig. 9, 
and No. 2,) and thus described by him: ‘* Madrepora composita, cor- 
poribus proliferis e centro pluribus, undique coadunatis ; stella convexa, 
centro concaya.”” The genus is characterized as follows by Schweig- 
ger, (Handbuch, p. 418:) ‘‘Stirps calcarea, e conis approximatis : 
coni e cellulis lamellosis acervati omnes cellula terminali medio pro- 
tracta, e centro depresso prolifera; which may be translated: Calca- 
reous, and made up of approximate cones; cones acervate and pro- 
ceeding from lamellate cells, which have a terminal cell at middle, and 
are proliferous from this depressed centre. He names the species A. 
baltica. ‘The essential characters of Schweigger’s genus are retained 
in the above generic description. The convexity of the summit exte- 
rior to the cup-like centre, is not a universal character. The Astrea 
ananas, figured by Lonsdale, (Silurian System, pl. 16, fig. 6,) appears 
to belong to this group as here characterized ; but his Acervularia bal- 
tica, which differs from Schweigger’s, is the type of another genus. 
' The Strombodes of Schweigger may also fall in part into this genus. 
The peculiar structure attributed to the species, the formation of succes- 
sive layers of cells, appears not to be of generic importance. He thus 
characterizes the genus: “ Stirps calcarea, e cellulis lamellosis in conos 
aceryatis, strata horizontalia constituentes. Coni paralleli, e cellula 
cyathiformi prolifera.”” (Handbuch, p. 418; see also Goldfuss, Pe- 
trefakten, 62, pl. 21.) The name is from otoougos, a top, and refers 
to the inverted cones constituting the layers. Blainville changes the 
name to Strombastreea, (Man. d’Actinologie, p. 876.) The Strombo- 
des of Ehrenberg includes those solitary Cyathophylla of Goldfuss, 
which from their peculiar interrupted mode of growth appear to con- 
sist of a series of inverted cones, (** tanquam conis e centro proliferis.”) 
The species “ Ringel-Coralle,” pass so gradually into others, with a 
nearly smooth exterior, that the character can hardly be considered as 
of sufficient importance for founding a genus. Ehrenberg includes in 
his genus a recent species from the Red Sea, which I have referred to 
under Euphyllia. 
Lonsdale and Phillips apply the name Strombodes to species which 
have the lamelle twisted about the centre, deriving the name from 
oT9EGM, to twist, thus departing widely from the original signification of 
the word and genus, as introduced by Schweigger, (Pal. Fossils, p. 10; 
Sil. System, 691, pl. 16 dis, fig. 4.) If the genus or its name merits 
Seconp Serigs, Vol. I, No. 2.—March, 1846. 24 
\ 
