542 ZOOPHYTES. 



retaining the group distinct under Guettard's name. The type of the 

 genus is the Astr&a porosa of Goldfuss. 



Goldfuss, Petref., 64, tab. 21, fig. 73; Milkpora subrctunda, poris minimis confertis, 

 majoribusque crenatis remotis, Fougt, Linn. Amsen. Acad. i., 203, fig. 24 ; Heliolithe 

 pyriforme, Guettard, Mem., iii. 454, pi. 22, fig. 13, 14; Heliopora pyrifonnis, of 

 Blainville ; Poritcs pyriformis, Lonsdale, Murchison's Silurian System, 686, pi. 15, fig. 2. 



GENUS IX. MILLEPORA. 



Favositidce incrustantes, glomerate, larmnatce aut ramosa, ramis nun- 

 quam teretibus ; polypis sparsis. Corallorum cellis minutissimis et 

 incequalibus, non conliguis, radiis obsoktis, interstitiis vix porosis. 



Incrusting, glomerate, laminate or ramose, with the branches never 

 terete ; polyps scattered. Coralla with the cells very minute aiid 

 unequal, not contiguous, rays obsolete, interstices scarcely porous. 



The Millepores, though forming large zoophytes, consist of very 

 minute polyps; and the cells of the coralla are consequently extremely 

 small, looking like pin-holes, and without distinct rays. Traces of 

 teeth may sometimes be detected around the margin. Internally they 

 are crossed by septa like the Pocillopores. The interstices are much 

 more solid, and the cells more minute than in the Heliopores. 



The animals of the Millepores have never been distinctly made out. 

 The author often had them under the microscope, but detected only 

 a simple disk without tentacles, and was not satisfied that they were 

 fully expanded. Several species, when alive, produce a stinging sen- 

 sation if the tongue be applied to the surface, and one in the West 

 Indies has been hence called Sea Ginger. 



The species grow either as simple incrustations or in branched and 

 lamellar forms, often of large size. They .are very common in the coral- 

 reef seas, to which, like the Madrepores, they are mostly confined. 



This genus, as instituted by Linnsus, contained numerous corals, 

 with small cells, which were essentially different in other respects. 

 As restricted by Lamarck, it still embraced the Nullipores, in which 

 no cells had been detected (now believed to be Algse), besides other 

 species, of which the genera Polytrema, and Myriozoum, have been 



