FAMILIES AND GEISTERA OP THE MADEEPORARIA. 61 



in dealing with the present group of Simple Corals genera must 

 not be admitted on the fact of the forms they might include 

 being fixed, when the otber structural details resemble those of 

 well-inown genera whose species are free. Hence Oynarina of 

 Briiggemann, 1877, is a free LitJiopliyllia, and Homophyllia, 

 Briiggemann, 1877, is a fixed Antillia or a young compound coral 

 or colony, 



IV. Alliance ASTEROSMILIOIDA. 



Simple Astrseadse, turbinate, horn-shaped. Calice elliptical or circular. 

 Wall costulate. One or more rows of pali. Columella variable, elongate, 

 spongy or lamellary or fasciculate, or none. Endotheca exists. 



Tribe I. Septa entire. 

 „ II. Septa denticulated. 



I. Genus Asterosmilia, Duncan. 



Genus Stephanosmilia, E. de From. 

 Genus Cyathosmilia, T. Woods. 

 II. Genus Pattalophyllia, d'Achiardi. 



Tribe I. 

 Grenus Asterosmilia, Duncan, Phil. Trans. 1867, p. 653. 



The corallum is simple, long, cornute more or less. Calice 

 elliptical or circular. Columella solid, essential, compressed, 

 lamellar, short. Septa numerous, entire, and exsert. Costse 

 irregular and often crested. Pali exsert, in sereral crowns, 

 before all septa except the last cycle. Endothecal dissepiments 

 distinct, tolerably numerous, and curved. 



Distribution. — Fossil. Eocene, Miocene: "West Indies. — 

 Hecent. Elorida and Atlantic. 



This genus was placed as Trocliocyathus even after the endo- 

 thecal dissepiments were discovered by Lonsdale (Quart. Journ. 

 Geol. Soc. vol. xx. 1864, p. 26). In May 1867 the generic dia- 

 gnosis was read before the Eoyal Society. 



The next genus, Stephanosmilia, E. de Eromentel, is allied to 

 Asterosmilia, Dune, the generic distinctions being that the first 

 named has a fasciculate columella and two crowns of pali ; whilst 

 the other has pali before all the septa except those of the last 

 cycle, and there are four and often five cycles of septa. 



There is a very remarkable manner of founding a genus illus- 

 trated in the ' Paleoutologie Erangaise.' A species is named and 



