102 REPORT— 1868. 
Paleozoic coral-fauna had hardly left their hold upon Madreporarian life at 
the time when the Lower Liassic strata were deposited. No Paleozoic genus 
is represented in the Lias. The facies of the Lower Liassic Coral-fauna is 
produced by the multitude of branching Thecosmilie, stunted Montlivaltie, 
and small-caliced Astrocenic. 
It is remarkable that neither Tabulate nor Perforate genera have been 
found in the Lias. The Tabulata must have been in existence during the 
Lias, for they are so fully represented in Paleozoic as well as in Cainozoic 
reefs. 
Corals from the Zone of Ammonites planorbis, 
There are some small T'hecosmilie in the so-called Guinea beds at Binton 
and Wilmeote, which are doubtless the descendants of the Thecosmilice of the 
White Lias. One species passes up into the zone of Ammonites angulatus 
(1. Terquemi, Dunc.). 
A very remarkable species of Jsastra is found in No. 3 bed of the Street 
section, associated with Septastrwa Haimei, Wright. 
This /sastrea, found so low in the secondary rocks, is especially interesting, 
on account of its possessing Latimeeandreean characters, as well as true cali- 
cular gemmation close to the murgin of the non-Latimeeandrean ealices. 
Were certain portions of the corallum separated from others, two distinct 
genera would be made from them, according to the established rules of clas- 
sification. The long serial calices without calicular buds are clearly Lati- 
meandrean, and they grow in length by the gradual production of small 
septa amongst the others without a cyclical arrangement. In the non-serial 
calices the cyclical arrangement of the septa is not by any means perfect ; 
and these calices differ from the non-serial calices of the Latimeandree of 
the Inferior Oolite by their calicular gemmation. 
Modern research into the relation between the hard and soft parts of recent 
corals has proved that the tentacular and oral structures of serial calices differ 
greatly from those which increase by a more or less cyclical arrangement of 
the septa. Moreover, the Isastraeean under consideration is rather an abnor- 
mal form, from the size of the septal dentations, and the great development of 
the endothecal dissepiments. These last close in the bottom of the ealices, ~ 
stretching across the fossa after the manner of tabule. 
The earliest known Jsastree are from the Triassic beds, and J. Haueri, 
Laube, from St. Cassian, is certainly like the species now under examination— 
Latimeeandrean in some respects. These species are synthetic, and point out 
the origin of the Latimeandrew, which in later times became prominent 
members of the Jurassic coral-faune. 
It must be remembered that St.-Cassian species of Thecosmilia and other 
genera have been found in the beds higher in the geological scale than the 
No. 3 bed (Street section), and also that Jsastrw@, perfect in their generic 
attributes, have been described from the St.-Cassian limestone. I have named 
the new form Jsastrea latimeandroidea. 
Septastrea Haimei, Wright, sp., is found with the last species. It has 
fissiparous calices, no definite cyclical arrangement of its septa, and a strongly 
developed endotheca. Its alliance to Septastrwa excavata, De From., is evi- 
dent ; but this last species has a definite hexameral arrangement of its cycles, 
as well as frequent fissiparity. 
Fissiparity is produced by two large septa stretching across the calicular 
fossa, joining and then developing small septa from their sides. The large 
septa form the walls which separate the newly formed calices. 
rea 
