FAMILIES AND QEKEEA OF THE MADEEPOEAEIA. 35 



CHAPTEE II. 



The family Oculinidse restricted to its definite limits. The discoveries of 

 Milne- Ed wards and J. Haime, Verrill, and H. N. Moseley. The necessary aholi- 

 tion of the Stylasteridie as a group of Zoantharia Sclerodermata. The soft 

 parts of typical Oculinidse. jiUiances of the family. Descriptions of genera. 



The family Pocilloporidse. The necessity for its foundation. 



The genera Pocillopora and Seriatopora. 



Family OOULINID^, Ed. ^ H. (pars). 



Tie Bext group of tbe Madreporaria Aporosa to be con- 

 sidered is one whicli has been greatly extended, by Yerrill* and 

 restricted by Milne-Edwards and Jules Haime f, and which 

 requires great modification in consequence of the discoveries of 

 Prof. H. N. Moseley, E.E.S.+ 



The Oculinacea of Yerrill cover much more ground than the 

 Oculinidse of Milne-Edwards and. Jules Haime, and. the family 

 of the Oculinidse now to be established is very restricted, the 

 Hydrocorallinse of Moseley having been of course removed. 

 Vei rill considers his Oculinacea a suborder; but the group as 

 now restricted can only be of family importance. 



Verrill § includes seven families in a suborder — the Oculinacea, 

 some of which can hardly remain thus associated owing to recent 

 advances in morphology. He gives some most valuable informa- 

 tion regarding the soft parts of the corals, and very aptly places 

 the genus Focillopora, generally classified with the Tabulata, in 

 his suborder. He also associates the genus &tylojghora with the 

 suborder. 



Milne-Edwards and. Jules Haime [| described a group of genera 

 ■which they formed into a family, the Oculinidse, and it contained 

 three subgroups, one of which now belongs to the Hydroco- 

 rallinse, Moseley, and it omitted some of the groups included 

 subsequently by Yerrill. 



In the suborder Oculinacea of Yerrill the polyps, when 

 expanded, rise above the caliee, and may be long and exsert, the 



* 'Notes on Eadiata,' 1868-71, p. 512. 



t Hist. Nat. des CoraU. vol. ii. p. 102 (1857), 



\ ' Challenger ' Eeport, 1880, and Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci. no. 88, p. 391 

 (1883). 



§ ' Notes on Eadiata,' 1868, p. 512. 



II Hist. Nat. des Corall. vol. ii. p. 102 (1857), and previously in ' Comptes 

 EenduB,' 1849 



3* 



