f&amp;gt; SO ACTINOIDA. 



eter, each covering a square inch, we find it exceeding 100,000 ; 

 and in a Porites of the same dimensions, in which the animals 

 are under a line in breadth, the number exceeds five and a half 

 millions. There are here, consequently, five and a half millions 

 of mouths and stomachs to a single zoophyte, contributing to- 



f ether to the growth of the mass, by eating, and growing and 

 udding, and connected with one another by their lateral tissues 

 and an imperfect cellular or lacunal communication.&quot; 



The BRAIN CORAL, Meandrina labynnthica, (see Chart,) is of 

 this family. Recent species belong to the South Atlantic and In 

 dian Oceans. Fine specimens have been received from Bermuda. 



Family Fungida, (Lat. fungus, a mushroom.) These have 

 the tentacles short and scattered ; when aggregate, the disks 

 are confluent. The surface of the coral is without proper 

 cells and stellate. There are nine recent species, mostly 

 from the Indian seas, and as many fossil ones. One spe 

 cies is the MUSHROOM CORAL, (see Chart,) Fungia patellaris, 

 (F. fungites, Linn.,) a circular coral with radiating plates 

 like the under surface of som3 mushrooms. The Thick-tentacled 

 Fungia, F. crassitentacula, shows the animal on the external sur 

 face, (Plate XVIII. figs. 19 and 20,) with the protruding tentacles. 



Family Caryophyllida, (genus Caryophylha.} These have the 

 radiating cells or plates striated externally and collected into a 

 solid conical polyparium fixed at the base, (Plate XVIII. fig. 15.) 

 See Chart for figure of C. cyathus, (Gr. kuathos, a cup or ladle.) 

 The Oculma, a white coral, is of this family. 



Family Zoanthidce, (Animal flowers.) These have the exte 

 rior of a somewhat leathery consistence, and short marginal ten 

 tacles, in two or three species, in the midst of which the mouth is 

 situated. For the Animal-flower, Zoanthus Solanden,see Chart. 

 This family is not coralligenous. 



Family Madreporida, (Fr. madre, spotted, and pore, from Gr. 

 poros.) These have deep cells extending to the center of the coral- 

 lum, which is very porous and fixed. The tentacles are twelve. 

 The species Madrepora abrotanoides, (Gr. southern wood-like,) 

 Lamarck, or M. muricata, Linn., is an example see Chart and 

 Plate XVIII. fig. 15. (The figure on the Plate gives this species 

 in magnified, that on the Chart in diminished size.) 



The Chart names several other Madreporic corals, living and 

 fossil, which we have not room to notice particularly. The fos 

 sil genus Catenipora, (chain coral,) is found in transition rocks. 

 The animal is unknown, contained in tubular cells united later- 

 ally in a calcareous polypary, of a conical form. (For figure 

 of C. e.sr.hnro flp.s latticR-like. SP Chart. ^ 



