1/2 MANUAL OF ZOOLOGY. 



verse canals ; and Mr Moseley suggests, with great probability, 

 that these are really of the nature of rudimentary sexless 

 polypes. 



Now that the fact is established that the living Heliopora is 

 a true Alcyonarian, it is necessary to remove to this order a 

 number of well-known fossil corals, principally Palaeozoic, of 

 which Heliolites may be taken as the type, and which were for- 

 merly regarded as belonging to the " Tabulate " section of the 

 Zoantharia sclerodermata. In Heliolites (fig. 85), there is a 

 well - developed sclerodermic corallum, with comparatively 



Fig. 85. A, Small colony of Heliolites megastoma, of the natural size. B, Small 

 portion of the surface of the same, magnified, showing the calices (a) and the mouths 

 of the coenenchymal tubes ($). C, Vertical section of the same, enlarged, showing 

 the tabulate corallites (), and the tabulate tubes of the coenenchyma (b). (Original.) 



large-sized, tubular, regularly tabulate corallites, usually pos- 

 sessing distinct but rudimentary septa, intermingled with a 

 copious coenenchyma formed of tabulate geometric tubuli, 

 much smaller than the corallites, and destitute of septa. With 

 Heliolites must be placed the equally extinct Plasmopora, 

 Propora, Polytremacis, &c. 



