456 BULLETIN 103, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



authentic specimens of the type-species is needed to ascertain whether 

 the genus is or is not a fungid coral. 



At present neither Brachyphyllia nor Agathiphyllia can be identified. 



Gyathomorpha is a fungid genus that has the general appearance of 

 Orbicella, with which it has been confused. 



The next description is of the genotype. 



CYATHOMORPHA ROCHETTINA (Michelin) Reis. 



Plate 123, figs, i, \ a , 16, \c, Id, le. 



1840-1847. Astrea rochettina Michelin, Icongraph. Zoophytol., p. 58, pi. 12, fig. 2. 

 1889. Cyathomorpha rochettina Reis, Bayer, geognost. Landesuntersuch. Geog- 

 nost. Jahresh., Jahrg. 2, p. 147, pi. 3, figs. 17, 19. (With synonymy.) 



There is in the United States National Museum one young specimen 

 (No. 156900), from Crosara, Italy, received from the K. K. Museum 

 fur Naturkunde, Berlin. Plate 123, figures 1, la, lb, presents a view 

 each of the upper surface, of the side, and of the lower surface of this 

 specimen, natural size. 



On the base and in places on the sides of the corallum the edges of 

 superposed layers are clearly seen, the lower edge of the outer layer 

 often flaring somewhat. There are prominent, steep-sided, distant 

 costae, crossed by transverse carinae; distance between costal crests 

 usually ranges from about 0.75 to 1.5 mm. In places the courses of 

 these costae are interrupted by what morphologically corresponds to 

 septal perforations. Between the larger are small costae, which for 

 the most part are represented by rows of spines. Exothecal dis.- 

 sepiments are present. The walls in general appear solid, but near 

 the upper edges synapticulae and intercostal pits or perforations are 

 distinguishable. The spines, trabeculae, of the small costae in places 

 are joined to the large costae by synapticulae. 



The larger septa are imperforate, at least for the most part, but the 

 last two or three cycles are clearly perforate, composed of imperfectly 

 fused trabeculae. Faces of large septa with carinae; synapticulae 

 well developed, especially near the columella. 



Columella large, trabecular; upper surface papillary. 



The foregoing notes are not intended as a description of the species ; 

 their object is to emphasize the fact that Cyathomorpha is a fungid 

 coral and to indicate its important generic characters. Reis 1 recog- 

 nized the presence of synapticulae in this species but did not refer it 

 to Madreporaria Fungida. 



Localities and geologic occurrence. — Castel Gomberto, Crosara, and 

 Sassello, Italy; Reit-im-Winkel, Bavaria; lower to middle Oligocene. 2 



1 Bayer geognost. Landesuntersuch. Geognost. Jahresh., Jahrg. 2, p. 147, 1889. 

 '- Idem., pp. 93, 94. 



