GENERA OF CH&TET1DM AND MONTICULTPORID^E. 329 



Genus BEAUMONTIA, Milne-Edwards and Haime, 1851. 

 (Pol. Foss. des Terr. Pal., p. 276.) 



The genus Beaumontia was founded by Milne-Edwards and 

 Haime (loc. cit. supra] for the reception of certain Carbonifer- 

 ous and Devonian Corals, to which they ascribed the following 

 common characters : 



" Corallum generally massive ; the corallites usually prismatic 

 and amalgamated by their walls, but occasionally partially free. 

 The walls thin, provided with an epitheca. The tabulae vesi- 

 cular, or, at any rate, irregular, occasionally exhibiting upon 

 their surface septal striae." 



The distinguished French observers just quoted regard 

 Beaumontia as corresponding in the series of the Chcetetidce 

 to Michelinia, De Kon., in the series of the Favositidce ; and 

 they assert that the walls of the corallites are destitute of 

 mural pores. If this last character be certainly established, 

 then the genus may be regarded as undoubtedly distinct ; but 

 the general resemblance of the corallum in the species of Beau- 

 montia to Michelinia would rather lead one to suspect that 

 mural pores may really exist, and that the genus is truly refer- 

 able to the Favositidce. Not, however, having had any oppor- 

 tunity of examining specimens of Beaumontia, I am necessarily 

 unable to pronounce any opinion on this point. I may add, 

 however, that Dr Lindstrom (Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 4, vol. 

 xviii. p. 1 6) refers Beaumontia to the Favositidce i while Prof. 

 Martin Duncan (Third Rep. on the Brit. Foss. Corals ; Rep. 

 Brit. Ass., 1871, p. 135) regards the genus as being properly 

 referable to the Halysitidcz. I am not aware, however, of any 

 published evidence which would positively decide between 

 these opposing views. 



