226 Miscellaneous. 



kind of complex inner wall between the great central cavity and the 

 outer septate zone. This wall, however, does not completely isolate 

 the septate outer zone from the centi^al cavity, but is perforated by 

 a series of round equal canals, very regularly placed one within each, 

 of the lateral curves of the septa, so that those on the opposite sides 

 of each septum alternate with exact regularity, as do those of each 

 of the two rows within each intcrseptal space. These canals have 

 no similarity to the minute punctures of the outer wall, being 

 greatly larger and very differently arranged. They do not pass 

 cUredhj through the inner M'all, but are directed obliquely upward 

 and inward, so that, as seen in transverse sections of the corallites, 

 they present the appearance of a double row of vesicles cut across. 



Both longitudinal and transverse sections show the large central 

 cavity to be without any traces of septa or columella. From these 

 sections I was likewise at first led to believe this central portion to 

 be also an entirely open cavity or calice, the whole length of each 

 corallite ; but on sending specimens to Prof. Verrill, he called my 

 attention to some obscure appearances of transverse plates in one of 

 the specimens cut longitudinally, and requested me to cut others 

 with the view of ascertaining whether or not these are plates. A 

 longitudinal section of another specimen, however, when carefully 

 polished, reveals no traces of proper transverse plates ; but when 

 examined by the aid of a strong magnifier, it shows the whole inte- 

 rior to be occupied by a dense vesicular tissue, the walls of the ve- 

 sicles being of extreme tenuity. This structure is seen in the in- 

 terseptal spaces of the outer zone, as well as in the central cavity 

 within. 



In regard to the affinities of so remarkable a type, it seems 

 scarcely safe to express an opinion without a better series of spe- 

 cimens for study. Some of its internal characters, as suggested by 

 Prof. Yerrill, would seem to indicate remote affinities to the Cya- 

 tliophyUidce ; but its peculiar perforated outer wall would, on the 

 other hand, appear to remove it from the primary division of corals 

 including that family. 



I am therefore led to believe it a nevi^ genus,, and most probably 

 typical of a new family, in which opinion Prof. Yerrill concurs with 

 me. For this genus I would propose the name Ethmophyllum. 



Among the specimens in the collection under examination, there 

 are apparently two species of this fossil. That considered the type 

 of the genus is larger and more robust than the other, and more 

 conical in form, especially near its smaller end. None of the spe- 

 cimens seen are quite perfect at the larger extremity. One mea- 

 sures 0-37 inch at its imperfect larger end, and seems to have been 

 2^ to 3 inches in length. In this there are sixty septa, while its 

 outer septate zone is 0-07 inch wide. Another fragment, however, 

 measures 1-20 inch in diameter at the larger end, and was probably 

 5 to 6 inches or more in length, with 112 septa at the larger end. 

 This large fragment shows that the septate outer zone does not in- 

 crease in thickness or breadth in proportion with the size of the 

 corallites, since it is only O-lo inch broad in this specimen, the in- 



