34 Mr. J. Wood-Mason on Mantis metallica. 
sitida, occur in species of the genus Porttes itself. Thus, I 
find them to be well developed in Porites clavaria, Lam., and 
to be even more numerously developed in Porttes astreoides, 
Lam. I annex asketch of a thin longitudinal section of some 
of the corallites of Porites clavaria, to show the tabula (fig. 2). 
As I purpose, however, to return to this subject at greater 
length, I shall say nothing further about it here, merely add- 
ing that a comparison between the accompanying section of 
Porites clavaria, Lam., and a corresponding section of such a 
species of Havosites as I". hemispherica, Yand. & Shum., will 
show how striking is the structural agreement between the 
two. 
Finally, as regards the existence of septa, Mr. Hickson 
has described in 7ubipora certain septiform structures which 
he finds occasionally to unite the axial tube to the theca; and 
he also mentions that ‘ occasionally individual spicules will 
project out radially into the cavity of the corallite in a manner 
exactly similar to the so-called ‘septa’ of Syringopora.” 
JT regret that I cannot accept either of these structures (both 
of which I have seen) as being at all of the nature of true 
septal spines, or as being in any way properly comparable 
with the vertically arranged spiniform septa of Syringopora. 
The septal spines of Syringopora are, on the other hand, 
properly comparable, in my opinion, with the septal spines of 
such Zoantharians as Porites and Alveopora. 
T need hardly add, finally, that I find myself compelled to 
dissent entirely from Mr. Hickson’s conclusion, that “ the 
evidence at our command tends to prove that the Favositide 
are really Alcyonarians, and that Syringopora is also an 
Alcyonarian allied to Tubipora.” On the contrary, | think 
the evidence at our command is sufficient to prove that the 
Favositide are Zoantharians closely allied to the Poritide, 
and that Syrinyopora, instead of being an Alcyonarian and 
allied to Tubipora, is a Zoantharian and allied to Havosites. 
On this last point I hope shortly to publish some interesting 
additional evidence that I have recently obtained. 
III.— On the Mantis metallica of Westwood. 
By J. Woop- Mason. 
THE beautiful species of the Orthopterous family Mantodea, 
which was described and figured nearly forty years ago by 
Prof. Westwood in his ‘ Arcana Entomologica,’ under the 
name of Mantis metallica, would appear still to be unique, or at 
