378 Mr. F. M'Coy on three neiv Devonian Zoophytes. 



f. 1 « to 1 e of the ' Petrefacta Germanige/ The branched varie- 

 ties, which become hollowed by age, are extremely liable to be 

 confounded with large specimens of the Caunopora ramosa, but 

 the structure is coarser, the tubules, though flexuous, are far 

 straighter and more tube-like, and finally the transverse dia- 

 phragms can always be made out by a little rubbing down of 

 the surface, while they certainly do not exist in the smaller and 

 far more irregular sponge-like tissue of the Caunopora. 1 have 

 noticed in some specimens preserved in slates that the oblique 

 cell-openings on the surface are rhomboidal with the lower angle 

 very prominent and spinose. 



Common in the Devonian limestone of Teignmouth; Devonian 

 shale of Newquay, and slates of Bedruthen Steps, St. Eval. 



[Col. University of Cambridge.) 



Strephodes gracilis (M'Coy). 



Sp. Char. Corallum simple, veiy gradually tapering, irregularly 

 twisted, averaging 3 inches long and 8 lines in adult diameter ; 

 horizontal section, outer wall very thick, solid ; radiating la- 

 mellae at the above diameter about fifty-six, very thin, extend- 

 ing in a slight irregular manner towards a large central space, 

 which the primary ones fill with their irregular complicated 

 extremities ; secondary lamellae as thick as the primary, of 

 irregular lengths, but seldom extending one-fourth the di- 

 stance to the centre ; transverse vesicular plates extremely deli- 

 cate, rather few, irregular : vertical section showing in the 

 middle a few irregular flexuous delicate longitudinal lines 

 (edges of the complicated ends of the vertical radiating la- 

 mellifi) ; sides occupied by very open vesicular tissue, com- 

 posed of large, curved, delicate, oblique plates, forming about 

 two rows of great cells on each side ; outer wall very thick, 

 forming a nearly smooth surface ; when decorticated the la- 

 mellar sulci average five in 2 lines ; terminal cup deep, 

 strongly radiated to the flattened centre. 



This little species is extremely remarkable for the looseness of 

 the vesicular tissue in the vertical section, or great size and con- 

 sequent smaller number of the cells. Decorticated fragments 

 bear some external resemblance to the Cyathophyllum ccespitosum 

 of the same beds when in the same condition, but a vertical 

 fracture with the hammer, wetted or polished, will easily distin- 

 guish them by showing the broad transverse diaphragms of the 

 latter. 



Not uncommon in the Devonian limestone of Newton Bushel. 



[Col. University of Cambridge.) 



