Mr Etheridge on Fossil Corals Jrom Hahhies Houje. 51 



(1.) The first specimen is that of a species of the Silurian 

 genus RalysiteSy with smaller and more circular corallites and 

 intercalicular spaces than either of the two British forms H. 

 catemilaria, Linn., and H. escharoides, Lam. The tabulae are 

 very regular and apparently more concave than in the fore- 

 going species. So far as we can judge from the number of 

 specimens collected by Messrs Henderson and Brown, this 

 is the commonest but one of the Corals in the conglomerate. 



(2.) The next specimen to which I would draw your attention, 

 is a single fragment of a small and fine species, apparently of 

 the genus Heliolites, allied to the Silurian species H. inter- 

 stincta, Linn. ; but with smaller calices, and a less developed 

 ccenenchyma. 



(3.) The third Coral is perhaps the most interesting of all, 

 from the very fine nature of its structure. It occurs as 

 nimierous pink or flesh-coloured irregular fragments scattered 

 through the pebbles, and presenting to the naked eye a per- 

 fectly dense and homogeneous appearance. When thin sections 

 are prepared, which has been accompKshed by my friend, Mr 

 C. W. Peach,* the most minute and beautiful coral structure 

 is perceptible, but which unfortunately will not bear the 

 application of any but a very low power lens. I am under 

 the impression that this is a species of Alveolites; but a further 

 set of microscopic sections are necessary before this point can 

 be settled. If it is an Alveolite, it is even finer in texture 

 than the very fine Carboniferous species, A. depressa, Flem- 

 ing. 



(4.) The fourth and last specimen appears to be the remains 

 of a Coral of the genus Favosites, nearly related to the Silurian 

 form, F. Gothlandica, Linn. I have not succeeded in detect- 

 ing the nature of the mural pores, and do not therefore care 

 to speak positively on this point. 



I hope to be able, on some future occasion, to return to 

 this subject, and to offer more detailed notes on the Corals of 

 the Habbie's Howe Conglomerate, than can be done from the 

 few specimens at present known. Whence the limestone 

 pebbles and blocks containing the corals were derived, is a 



* Mr C, W. Peach was the first to detect the minute coral structure of 

 these specimens. 



