MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 443 



brecadth 3 to G mm. Septa in three complete cycles, the third less stout 

 and usually curved toward and united, near the columella, to those of 

 the preceding cycle; occasionally part of a fourth cycle is developed. 

 Septa thin, with free edges sharply and roughly denticulated through- 

 out; sides somewhat coarsely granulated, frequently granules are also 

 present on the inside wall of the calice. Columella moderately devel- 

 oped, spongy, composed of contorted processes originating from the inner 

 margins of the septa. Gemmation takes place in the interspaces between 

 the corallites, and around the edge of the colony. 



Gane identified the coral here named Astrangia conradi with Conrad's 

 Astrea hella. I have been unable to determine Conrad's type in the col- 

 lections of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, his de- 

 scription is not sufficient for identification, but he gives tiie locality of 

 his type specimen as Newberne, North Carolina. We have many speci- 

 mens from the Neuse Kiver, below Newberne. The geologic horizon is 

 Pliocene, and as only one species of coral, Septastrea crassa (Holmes), 

 has been found there, it is most probable that Conrad's Astrea hslla is the 

 encrusting young of that species. I have therefore renamed Gane's 

 Cmnangia hella, calling it Astrangia conradi. 



The Astrea bella of Tuomey and Holmes (op. et loc. sup. cit.) and the 

 AstrcBa hella of Holmes ' are two entirely distinct species, as the study of 

 the original specimens kindly loaned me by the American Museum of 

 Natural History of New York has shown. The former is from the Mio- 

 cene of the Darlington District, South Carolina, and is probably Astran- 

 gia conradi of Conrad; while the latter is a synonym of Astrangia aslrei- 

 formis M. Edw. & H. 



The type specimen is in the Wagner Free Institute of Science. 

 Occurrence. — Chesapeake Group. Carter's Landing on James 

 Eiver, and Prince George county, Virginia. 



Collections. -AY agnev Pree Institute of Science, U. S. National :\Iu- 

 seum. 



Family ORBiCELLID^ Vaughan. 

 This family was originally characterized as follows: "Calcareous tis- 

 sues normally imperforate, except in the columellar region. Corallites 



iPleiocene Fossils of South Carolina, p. 1, pi. i, tig. 2. 



