Sept. 14, 1882J 



NATURE 



487 



Terebdlaria. Lamouroux. — "A fossil, dendroid polypary, com- 

 posed of cylindrical scattered branches, spirally twisted from left to 

 right or from right to left indifferently ; pores prominent, almost 

 tubular, numerous, disposed quincuncially, and more or less in- 

 clined according to their pontion with the spires." Lamouroux 

 says the genus should be 1 laced after the Millepires and before the 

 Spiropora:, remarking "that the Spiropora: have the cells or the 

 pores projecting as in TcrcbcUaria, but that this character is ob- 

 servable only in well-preserved specimens. When the prominent 

 part of the spire has been worn by attrition, it lojks like a 

 narrow riband wound round the branch." The fossils which 

 ordinarily pass for species of Terebillaria in the cabinets of col- 

 lectors are a very curious group that maybe more closely studied. 

 Mr. Vine's studies are made from specimens from the Cornbrash, 

 and Bradford Clay of Bradford and Stanton, Wilts, and it is 

 Irom this bcality that the School of Mines specimens were 

 obtained. To properly master the details of colonial growth, it 

 will be necessary to isolate a single colony. The one furnished 

 by Haime as a specimen of a young colony on stone shows a 

 tapering proximal point, gradually widening by the addition of 

 cells, till a certain fin- like slupe is arrived at. A similar growth 

 to this is found in young colonies of Diastopora. If superficially 

 examined, it will I e seen that the cells are peculiarly arranged, 

 beautifully punctured, with an orifice sometimes circular, at other 

 times semi circular, and sometimes the cell characters of portions 

 of the colony bear a resemblance to Bidiastopora ramoiissima of 

 D'Orbigny. A complete and critical examination of the type 

 will show that any fragment of stone or shell is sufficient to form 

 the nucleus of a colony. It begins with a primary cell and then 

 enlarges in a spiral direc'ion, but to what extent the riband like 

 growth would be carried without a ch-ck I am unable to say. In 

 another directi >n a similir colony will be developed, the distal 

 cells of which will ultimately meet and coalesce, both colonies 

 striking out in fresh directi ms till met hy another check, the 

 growth not always being in an upward direction. The dendroid 

 character of species is perfectly accidental. 



Genus Diastopora, l.amx. Sy. with Berenieea (pars), Lamx. 

 — Mr. Vine accepts this genu-, in its wider sense, as defined 

 by Hincks; yet he hardly thinks that it will be possible to include 

 the whole of tbe fol aceous for.ns of the Jurassic period in one 

 group. In this report he adheres to the arrangement of Busk, as 

 he has done in his two papers on the Diastoporida:, keeping 

 the foliaceous types for distinct study. At the same time he is 

 willing to admit that in getting rid of one difficulty in our 

 grouping we open the door to admit others. Haime admits both 

 the encrusting and foliaceous types, accepting the genus Berenicia 

 for the encrusting, and Diastopora for simple-foliaceous and reti- 

 form species. Prof. Braun, in his Jurassic studies, separates the 

 species Diastopora foliacea from the group, and establishes 

 another, which he calls Elea, claiming for his type certain 

 peculiarities which have been entirely overlooked by authors. It 

 is very certain that the more closely we examine Jurassic Polyzoa 

 and compare them with modern species of the genus Diastopora, the 

 more divergent the types appear ; and although we would rather 

 accept a simple than an elaborate classification, still there are 

 limits beyond which it is not wise to go. 



Biserial Diastopora, Milne Ed. Mesenteripora, Blain- 

 ville ; Bidiastapira, D'Orb ; Ditaxia, Hagenow. — It is well 

 that the encrusting and bi-erial Diastopora should be separated, but 

 not widely so. Iu the choice of the above names he has selected 

 the simplest — Diastoporis biserialares of Milne Edwards — be- 

 cause it has the precedence of the Bidiastopora of D'Orb. 

 Busk — in the "Crag Polyzoa" and in the "Brit. Mus. Cat." 

 pt. iii — has chosen Blainville's name for this division of the group. 

 Mr. Vine's chief objection to Blainville's term for the biserial 

 species may be found in the diagnosis as given by Busk : " Cells 

 in two layers, parted by a calcareous septum," In all the speci- 

 mens figured in "Crag Polyzoa" (Pla'es xvii. Fig. 2; xviii. 

 Fig. 4; and pi. xx. Fig. 2, pp. 109, no) of Mesenleripora 

 meandrina the transverse sections of the foliaceous zoarium are 

 shown to have this septum very distinct. In many of Haime's 

 figures where cross sections are given, the septa are al o shown 

 to be present. It seems to him, judging from the foliaceous 

 specimens in my own cabinet, that this "calcareous septum " is 

 only an apparent, and not a real character. If sections are 

 made in a line with the cells, the only axis visible is that made 

 by sections of the cell walls. In a cross section of the folia- 

 tions there is an apparent septal division, but the more closely 

 this is examined the less real will it be. The septal divisions of 

 D. scobinula, D. Terqucmi, and D. cervicornis, as given by Haime, 



show one, two, and three sections of cells on either side of the 

 septal line ; and specimens of Inferior Oolite species found in 

 the neighbourhood of Cheltenham are in many respects of a 

 similar character. As Mr. Vine has been able to examine only 

 a very limited number of species, he would be glad to have more 

 detailed information if students of our Oolitic Polyzoa will 

 address their attention to this point. Meanwhile, by selecting 

 the divisional name of Milne Edwards, he does not commit him- 

 self to any generic namedependent upon a questionable structural 

 character. 



1822. Pnlricaria, Defranc. 1830. Cricopora, Blainville. 1840. 

 Melicerilites, Roemer. 1850. Entalophora, D'Orbigny. 1853. 

 Cricopora, Spiropora, Tubigera, Melkerititcs, Laterotubigera, 

 Entalophora, D'Orb. Palaeontology. — He has already vindi- 

 cated by use and preference the retention of this genus for 

 species'of Pake izolc Polyzoa. He still retains the name for species 

 of the genus very common in the Mesozoic rocks. He has also 

 given the synonyms with their dates of genera intended to super- 

 sede Lamouroux's original term. It may be as well to define 

 and limit the genus as applicable for the reception of Palreozoic, 

 Mesozoic, and Cainozoic species. He is not aware that any 

 recent species of Polyzoa can be included in the group. 



Fam. III. Hornerid.-E, Hincks. — This family contains only 

 one genus, Hornera. There is no representative of the family, 

 in Brit. Jurassic Kocks at least, and he is not aware of any 

 recorded species of the genu; in foreign Oolites. As the Rev. 

 Thomas Hincks says that "the genus Hornera is connected 

 with Tubuliporid.'e, through Idmonea," to which it bears in 

 many points a very close resemblance, in all probability early 

 types of the genus, as defined by him, may yet be found in either 

 the Juristic or Cretaceous rocks. The Siphodictyum, of Lons- 

 dale, is given as one of the synonyms of Hornera. 



Fam. IV. LichenoporiD/E.— This is the last family given 

 by Hincks in which lurassic Polyzoa can be placed. The genus 

 Lichenopora of Defranc has alsi a number of synonyms, but as 

 species of the genus are rare in the Oolites, we find only one 

 recorded. Haime says the genus has not been represented until 

 now, other than by Tertiary or Cretaceous fossils. In Licheno- 

 pora Philhppsii, derived from the Great Oolite of H irnpton 

 Cliff, the zoarium is disciform, very slightly elevated, and 

 adherent only by the middle of its inferior face. The upper 

 surface resembl s a fungus, with unequally developed rays formed 

 of a scies of long zocecia, ordinarily doubled. The peristomes 

 are polygonil, regular, and closely connected. 



1835. Neuropora, Broin. ; Chrysaora, Lamx; Filiearia, 

 D»o,-b. — Species belonging to this genus are present in our 

 British Oolites, in the Bradford Clay, and Cornbrash, but he has 

 not been able to secure specimens to operate upon so as to stady 

 the internal characters. Dutnortier describes several species 

 from tbe Middle Lias, Haime describes three from the Great 

 Oolite of Ranville and Hampton Cliffs, and Prof. Brann says 

 that it extends from the Lower Lias onward into the White Jura 

 and also into the Great Oolite of Kanville. It is also found 

 about Metz. Through the kindness of Prof. Roemer of Breslau 

 Mr. Vine had supplied to him the species of Ceripora, Goldfuss, 

 which are referable to this genus, but the types differ in many 

 particulars from our own species. 



1834. Heteropora, Blainville. — We have now left one group 

 of Oolitic Fossils which within the last few years have been 

 more closely studied than any of the others, becau-e of their 

 supposed relationship with the Paleozoic Monticulipora. In his 

 " Pertifactions of Germany," Goldfuss placed in the genus Cerio- 

 pora three species, which he de: cribes and figures as containing 

 large and small openings on the surface of the branches. These 

 were Ceriopora anomalopora, C. cryplopora, and C. dichotomi, 

 all of which were from the Mastricht beds of Astrupp or Nantes. 

 In 1834 M. de Blainville separated these from the Ceriopora of 

 Goldfu s, and establi-hed another one for their reception which 

 he called Heteropora, assigning as essential structures the two 

 sorts of openings, but giving very few details respecting the 

 genus. After this Milne Edwards added to them Millepora 

 dumitosa and eorigera, Lamouroux. In his "Miocene Fossils of 

 North America," Mr. Lonsdale complained of the inadequate 

 description of Blainville as not having in it sufficient details " to 

 enable an opinion to be formed of its complete characters, or of 

 the nature of the minor openings." This error was to some 

 extent rectified by Lonsdale, and we owe to him the merit of 

 being the first author who clearly indicated upon sufficient 

 grounds the real zoological position of the genus. 



