172 PBOF. P. MABTIN DTJNCAN's REVISION OF THE 



Section MADEEPOEAEIA PEEFOEATA, m. Sf H., amended. 



Corallum composed entirely or nearly entirely of porous or 

 reticulate coenencliyma. Visceral cavities intercommunicating, 

 and not shut off from the surrounding medium. Septa either 

 well developed, solid or slightly or much perforated, or repre- 

 sented by trabeculse only. Dissepiments may or may not exist, 

 and tabulae also. Soft parts filling the porose sclerencliyma. 

 Calices with a disk, tentacles, and interseptal mesenteries. 



There are three families of the Madreporaria Perforata : — 



I. The EirpsAMMiD^ (subfam. Ed. & H.). 

 II. The Madeepoeidje, Ed. & H. (pars). 

 III. The PoEiTiDji:, Ed. & H. 



Forty-two genera and five subgenera are included in these 

 families. Twelve genera have been eliminated, but five become 

 subgenera. 



I. Family EUPSAMMID^. 



This family includes tbe very important and now very large 

 group whicb was considered to be only worthy of tbe position of a 

 subfamily by Milne-Edwards and Jules Haime (Eupsamminse, 

 Hist. Nat. des Corall. vol. iii. p. 90, 1860). 



The genera included have a very characteristic facies ; and 

 although their structures, both hard and soft, ally them most 

 definitely with the Madreporaria Perforata, they are not witliout 

 some affinities with the Eungida. The soft parts differ from the 

 corresponding structures of the Fungida. 



Tliis distinction of the soft parts is important, for some of 

 the species of Eupsammidse have hard structures, which, act as 

 synapticula, and resemble, to a certain extent, the corresponding 

 structures of some of the Plesiofungidae. Notably this is the 

 case in JEtipsammia and Stephanopliyllia. Moseley's researches 

 indicate that this last very fungoid-looking genus is clearly not 

 one of the Fungida, for the soft parts diff'er (Eeport on Corals, 

 H.M.S. ' Challenger,' p. 203). 



Family EUPSAMMID^. 



Syn. JEupsammincs, Ed. & H. 



Perforate Madreporaria, simple or in colonies. The corallite 

 walls usually have costae formed of sclerenchymatous nodules 



