FAMILIES AND GENEEA OF THE MADEEPOEAEIA. 51 



II. Genus Montlivaltia, Lamouroux. 



Subgenus Leptomussa, d'Achiardi. 

 Subgenus Oppelismilia, Duncan. 

 Subgenus Ceratophyllia, v. Fritsch. 

 Genus Feddenia, Duncan. 



Genera absorbed : — 



Elltpsosmilia, d'Orb. ; Psammosmilia, E. de From. 

 Genera becoming subgenera : — 



Epismilia, Ccelosmilia, Leptomussa, Oppelismilia, and Cera- 

 tophyllia. 



Tribe I. 



Grenus Tkochosmilia, MilneSdwards Sf Jules Saime, Cornet, 



Bend, de VAcad. des 8ci. t. xxvii. p. 467 (1848). 



Syn. Ellipsosmilia, d'Orb. 



The corallum is simple, and either subpedicellate or fixed by a 

 broad base, compressed or not, often deformed. Calice circular, 

 elliptical, elongate, or deformed. Columella absent. Septa entire, 

 numerous, exsert or not, often lobed. Costee distinct. Endo- 

 theca present. Epitheca absent or rudimentary. 



Distribution. — Fossil. Jurassic, Cretaceous : Europe, North 

 America, Asia. Eocene : Europe, Asia. Miocene : Europe. 



D'Orbignyfoundedthe genus Ellipsosmilia, which he described 

 as Trochosmilia with an oval calice and slightly enlarged base. 

 The septa do not meet at the centre, but leaye a hollow space 

 there transverse to the columella (Elements Zoologiques, p. 160; 

 Cours elementaire de Paleontologie &c., 1851 ; genus founded in 

 1848). 



Milne-Edwards and Jules Haime decided not to admit the 

 genus, and referred the species to other genera, such as TrocTio- 

 smilia and Montlivaltia. Etallon resuscitated Mlipsosmilia in 

 'Etudes Paleont. sur le Haut Jura;' and M. de Eromentel 

 pointed out in his ' Introd. a I'Etude des polyps, foss.' the error 

 into which Etallon had fallen. 



There appeared to be some reasons for the establishment of a 

 genus which should absorb Ellipsosmilia and certain Montlivaltice 

 which were supposed to have entire septa. But the influence of 

 f ossilization and of weathering on MontlivalticB, in wearing down 

 their denticulate septal edges, does not seem to have entered 

 the thoughts of any palaeontologists who have described species 

 of this genus, Epismilia. It is remarkable that whilst Montli- 

 valtia has survived to the present day, Epismilia did not enter the 



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