681 



MADREPHYLLICEA. 



MADREPHYLLICEA. 



683 



There are about nine recent (mostly from Indian Seas), and as mail 

 fossil species. De Blainville arranges them in three groups : simpl 

 and circular ; simple and compressed ; complex and oblong. 



The animal, according to Quoy and Qaimard, ia very like that o 

 Caryophyllia ; it covers the upper face, and returns over the lower 

 so that the whole polypidom is internal. M. Stutchbury has describee 

 the growth of this coral in the ' Linnsean Transactions.' 



P. patdlaria (Ellis and Soland., t. 28, figs. 14) may be taken as an 

 example. 



Montlivoltia (fossil). Animal unknown ; solidified by a calcareoui 

 polypidom of sub-conical or pyriform figure (fixed); transversely 

 wrinkled below; enlarged, excavated, and lamellato-radiate above 

 From the Oolite of Caen. Goldfuss refers it to Anthophyllum o 

 Schweigger ; and De Blainville says it is closely allied to Cydolites. 

 M. caryophyllata (Lamx., 'Zooph.' t. 79, figs. 8-10) is an example. 

 Polyphyttia. Animals numerous, confluent, with a rather prominent 

 mouth, lobed at the margin; numerous tentacula, not round the 

 mouth, but scattered on the surface of a fleshy part, which entirely 

 envelops and incloses a calcareous solid polypidom, which is a free 

 oval elongated plate ; above rather convex, and covered with lamellar 

 ridgec. which are denticulated, prominent, very slender, and transverse, 

 but without stelliform disposition ; below rather concave, and 

 roughened by close-set tubercles. 



The whole mass is free on the sea-bed. 

 Fungia talpa of Lamarck (' Actinologie," pi. 52, fig. 1) belongs to 

 this genus. 



Anthophyllum. Animal unknown, containing a calcareous polypi- 

 dom of a conical or pyriform figure, fixed in the lower part, enlarged, 

 flattened, excavated, and multilarnellous in the upper part. This 

 genus includes fossil species from ancient rocks, and appears imper- 

 fectly distinguished from Turbinolia unless the species of that genus 

 were all free, which is at least doubtful. 

 A . Huettardi, Defr., is an example. 



Ehrenberg unites in one genus Monomycet, the AnlhophyUa, Mont 

 Urn/lite, and the two first groups of Fungia. 



Turbinolia. Animal simple, conical, ribbed externally with larger 

 and smaller ribs; terminated above by a mouth begirt with numerous 

 tentacula, and solidified by a calcareous polypidom which is free, 

 conical, furrowed externally, attenuated to one extremity, enlarged at 

 the other, and ending in a large shallow radiated cell. 



Most of the species are fossil: they occur in rocks of all age?, 

 particular species belonging to each ; but if the genus is not very 

 obscurely characterised, the use of the term is not very accurate. 

 According to De Blainville, the recent T. amicorum has twenty-four 

 ribs ; but this number is exceeded vastly in some of the fossil species 

 referred to the genus ; and in others there are fewer than twenty-four. 



IHplocttniitm of Goldfuss is a compressed Turbinolia, according to 

 De Blainville. 



T. amicorum, Bl., from the South Seas, may be taken as an example. 

 T. borealit and T. milleliana are found in British eeas. 

 Turbinoloptif (fossil). Animal unknown, solidified by a calcareous 

 polypidom, of a simple turbinated figure, and free. This polypidom 

 is lacunose, furnished above with radiating lamella;, united at short 

 equal intervals, and marked externally by longitudinal flexuous 

 strife, inclosing between their united edges vertical lines of pores or 

 cells. 



M. Lamouronx describes this genus. It has been since adopted 

 by Mr. Lonsdale for specimens which occur plentifully in strata below 

 Old Hed-Sandstone. (' Silurian System," by Murchison.) De Blainville 

 appears to think it should be reunited with Turbinolia, but he had not 

 examined the specimens noticed by Lamouroux. 

 T. ochracea. Lamouroux. ' Gen des Polyp.,' t. 82. 

 Caryophyllia. Animals actiniform, subcylindrical, provided with a 

 simple or double crown of short thick 

 perforated tentacula, which project from 

 the surface of stars or cylindriconical 

 cells ; cells furnished with radiating 

 lamella; internally complete, externally 

 striaU-d, and aggregated into a solid 

 couical polypidom, fixed at the base. 

 The species are grouped according to the 

 simple or fasciculated character of the 

 mass. There are both recent and fossil 

 examples of each group. 



Lamarck id the author of this genus, 

 distinguishing it from Turbinolia and 

 Oculina. He has been followed by 

 nearly all zoologists; but Goldfuss has 

 reunited Caryophyllia and Oculina into 

 his genus JAlhodcndron. 



C. C'yathiu (Elli and Sol., t. 28, f. 7) 

 is an example. It hag occurred in the 

 British seas. 



Khrenberg divides this genus, and 

 forms the following new ones : 



Detnurphyllwm. Example, C. dianthus. 

 Cyathina. Example, C. Cyathut. 

 Cladocera. Example, O. calycularie. 



\ 



CaryopliyUitt Cyflthus. 



Sarcinula. Animals unknown, contained in cells at the end of long 

 cylindrical tubes ; cells lamelliferous, stelliform ; tubes striated exter- 

 nally, parallel to the axis, united by a cellular transverse mass into a 

 solid calcareous polypidom, whose upper and under surfaces are plane 

 and parallel. 



This genus, established by Lamarck, includes both recent and fossil 

 species. It seems to bear the same relation to Caryophyllia that 

 certain tubular Astrcece bear to the ordinary forms of that genus. 

 There is no suflicient reason for the conjecture of De Blainville, that 

 Lithostrotion of Llwyd should be referred to this genus : it has more 

 resemblance to the following group, with which indeed De Blainville 

 lias joined it. 



Columnaria (fissil). Animals unknown, contained iu shallow 

 multi-radiate stelliform cells, at the ends of prismatic tubes ; tubes 

 aggregated, contiguous, more or less parallel, forming by their union a 

 solid thick calcareous polypidom. 



This is a genus of Goldfuss, established on fossils of the Transition 

 Strata. 



Stylina (fossil). Animals entirely unknown, contained in radiated 

 cells at the end of long cylindrical vertical tubes ; tubes furnished 

 internally with distinct lamella;, which radiate from a solid more 

 or less prominent axis, and are united by a cellular mass so as to 

 form a stony polypidom, more or less extended, thick, and echinated 

 above. 



A genus of Lamarck (originally named Fascicnlaria by him), which 

 includes perhaps only one species. The prominent axis occurs how- 

 ever in several madreporic fossils not usually referred to this genus 

 as certain Cyathophytta of Goldfuss. Sarcinula conoidea of this author 

 is ranked by De Blainville as a Stylina. 



Catempora (fossil). Animals unknown, contained in tubular cells ; 

 cells terminal, often oval, furnished with radiating plates, and united 

 laterally into a calcareous polypidom, which may be described as of a 

 conical figure, fixed, composed of vertical anastomosed lamellae. 



Tubipora catenulata of old writers is the type of this Lamarckian 

 genus, which, with some surprise, we found to be, as De Blainville 

 states, really a lamelliferous coral. He draws this inference from 

 examining a fine specimen, at Bonn, of C. escharoides, which he con- 

 siders the only species. It is peculiar to the Transition Rocks, though 

 not perhaps to the Silurian System. 



C. etcharoides (Lamarck ; Goldfuss, t. 25) is an example. 



Ca ten ipora cscJl n roides. 

 Fischer's genus Halysitcs is identical with Catenipora. 



