A NEW FOSSIL CORAL FROM THE CRETACEOUS OF 



TEXAS 



By J. Edward Hoffmeister 



Of the University of Rochester, Neiv York 



The species Hindeastraea discoidea was made the type of a new 

 genus Hindeastraea by White.' The type (see pL 2, figs. 1 and la 

 for para type) was reported to have been obtained from the Ripley 

 (Navarro) formation near Terrell, Kaufman County, Tex. White 

 compared Hindeastraea to Isastrea Milne Edwards and Haime and 

 said the latter differed in having a massive growth form, in its more 

 numerous dissepiments, and in the less distinct boundaries formed by 

 the walls between the calices. 



Dr. L. W. Stephenson, of the United States Geological Survey, 

 turned over to me a small series of specimens collected by Mr. C. H. 

 Dane (U. S. Geol. Surv. Coll. No. 13837) from a thin bed in the 

 Wolfe City sand of the Taylor marl about 1 mile N. 30° W. of Farm- 

 ersville, Collin County, Tex. These, together with a specimen from 

 the same locality collected by Mr. A. H. Kimzey (U. S. Geol. Surv. 

 Coll. No. 13781), throw additional light on the structure and growth 

 form of the genus. 



These specimens have a massive, irregular growth form and in 

 this way differ from Hindeastraea discoidea. However, the calicular 

 characteristics are so nearly identical that it is probable the speci- 

 mens describe by White represent merely the early growth stages of 

 the species, and that as development progresses the corallum becomes 

 massive. Until specimens are obtained, however, which show the 

 actual transition between the two forms I am keeping them separate 

 and placing the massive ones in a new species, Hindeastraea col- 

 Jinensis. The following description is of the specimen collected by 

 Mr. A. H. Kimzey, which is No. 73608, United States National 

 Museum, and is here designated the type. 



1 White, C. A., Hindeastraea, a new generic form of Cretaceous Astraeidae, Geol. Mag. 

 London, dec. n, vol. 5, p. 36.3, figs. 1-5, 1888. 



No. 2820.— Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 76, Art. 23 

 73183—29 



