536 ZOOPHYTES. 



cor alia therefore prismatic in structure or basaltiform ; cells every 

 where contiguous, subangular; lamellae sometimes 12 and broad, 

 but usually quite obsolete. 



This genus comprises various fossil corals, which break with a neat 

 prismatic structure, appearing something like a honeycomb, whence 

 the name, from the Latin favus. A few species have stellate cells. 

 The transverse septa are in general nearly straight, though sometimes 

 irregular or concave. Excepting the prismatic character, they are 

 very near the Pocillopor*. 



As here characterized, this genus corresponds to the Calamopora 

 of Goldfuss, and embraces part of the Alveolites of Lamarck. It also 

 includes some of the Cerioporce of Goldfuss. It probably contains 

 three or four distinct groups; yet it is difficult to draw the lines be- 

 tween them from the characters which the imperfect fossil coralla 

 afford. The presence of lateral pores has been appealed to, as dis- 

 tinguishing the true Favosites; but this character is of uncertain 

 application. The polyps of the genus, allowing it the whole extent, 

 have a range of at least eighteen diameters, which is without a parallel 

 in any recent genus of the tribe : there are species with much larger 

 cells than in any recent coral of the Madrepore tribe, and others in 

 which they are among the very smallest. In the Pocilloporse the 

 range is but three diameters; and in the Madreporae about four.* 

 There is strong reason therefore for believing that a line of subdivi- 

 sion must somewhere be drawn. Without indicating its precise cha- 

 racter, we here mention a group as it has been adopted by Lonsdale, 

 under the name of Stenopora. 



STENOPORA, Lonsdak (ChaBtetes? Fisclier}. Internal structure of 

 corallum fine prismatic, cells of surface minute, subangular, conti- 

 guous ; zoophytes glomerate or ramose, surface often small-verrucose. 



In the verrucose character of the surface, and the flattened forms of 

 the branches, they very closely resemble the Pocillopora ; but the 

 verrucae are less prominent, and have the form of very small low 

 conelets. The cells also are like those of that genus in being conti- 

 guous or nearly so, and angular, especially at the summits of the 



* In the genus Astraea the range is as great as above stated for the Favosites. But 

 these polyps vary correspondingly in the number of the visceral lamellfc, which is not 

 the case in the Madreporacea, twelve being the constant characteristic of the tribe. The 

 large size of some Favosites might even lead us to doubt whether they really belong with 

 the Madreporacea, were it not indicated by the character of the cells. 



