306 ZOOPHYTES. 



Montlivaltia of Laraouroux is a Cyclolites, as he ascertained by an exa- 

 mination of the original specimen. 



Cyclolites, Lamarck, ii. 367. Montlivaltia, Lamour., Exp. Meth., 78, 



, Blainville, Man. 335. tab. 79, figs. 8, 10. 



Fungia, Goldfuss, Petref., 47. Cydolithas, Ehrenberg, Genus xvii. 



II. Fungidte liberce, ezplanato-gemmatce. 



GENUS III. HERPETOLITHUS. ESCHSCHOLTZ. 



Fungidce liberce, gemmatce, explanatce ; polypis uniseratim mediants ma- 

 joribus et aliis undique sparsis, utrisque tentaculatis, tentaculis brevi- 



bus aut obsoletis. Corolla oblonga, oririmd mediana composite!, pro- 

 fundd, aliisque simplicibus sparsis; lamellis denticulatis, per oririmas 



interruptis, itaque brevibus (semipollice non minoribus], vix radiatis ; 



superficie inferiors echinatd. 



Free Fungidae, budding and explanate ; a single medial series of large 

 polyps, and others scattered, each with a separate circle of tenta- 

 cles, which are quite short or obsolete. Coralla elongate, with a 

 deep medial compound oririme, and others simple scattered ; la- 

 mellae interrupted at the scattered oririmes, and hence short (not 

 less than half an inch), scarcely at all radiate, denticulate; under 

 surface echinate. 



The Herpetolithi have the general habit of the Fungioe, with which 

 they were associated till separated by Eschscholtz. The surface of 

 the coralla, instead of consisting of long lamellae radiating to the mar- 

 gin, as in the Fungiae and Zoopili, is made up of short lamellae, extending 

 only from one oririme to another ; and instead of having a single cen- 

 tral mouth, polyp-mouths are scattered over the whole surface. They 

 usually grow in oblong forms, more or less elliptical, either flat, or 

 convex above, and concave below, and not unfrequently a little con- 

 torted ; and, in allusion to their shape, they have been familiarly called 

 sea-tongues ; they have also some resemblance to a large slug, which 

 suggested the generic name.* Some, turned over, look like oblong 



* From 6iru, to creep, and Xidoj, stone. Ehrenberg's name, Haliglossa, given sub- 

 sequently to Eschscholtz's, is from aXj, sea, and yXua'tfr], tongue. 



