GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY OF THE CANAL ZONE. 4G9 



('yaihoniorphd U'lmln in some ol" its cliaractors is very similar to 

 Onlasfira. In fact I have vacillated between referring it to Oyatho- 

 morplui or to OulaMrea, particularly as there is in the New York 

 Academy Porto Rican collection a species that resembles G. tenuis, 

 but is more appropriately referable to Oulofttren than to Cyatho- 

 iDorpha, and a specimen, poorly preserved but apparently the same 

 species, was obtained by Mr. Meinzer at Mogote Peak, east of the 

 IJ. S. Naval Reservation, near Guantanamo, Cuba, in beds of the 

 same age as those in which the Porto Rican specimen was collected. 

 As the Cuban material is not good enough for an accurate descrip- 

 tion, the discussion of this interesting species must be deferred. 



Genus DIPLOASTREA Matthai. 



I'll I. Diplodglrai Mattmai, Linn. »Soi'. 1-ondun Trans., 8ei". 2, Zool.. vol. 17. p. 72. 

 M(17. Dlplonslrai Vai ciii.w, Carnegie Inst. Washington Puli. iM3, ]). 1 42. 



l^ype-species. — Astrea hello pora Lamarck. 



In my paper cited in the synonymy I wrote " Diploastrea is one of 

 the most important genera of Oligocene corals in the southeastern 

 United States and in the West Indies. Astraea crassolamellata 

 Duncan, from Antigua belongs to it. It is also found in the lowest 

 horizon at Crocus Ba}^, Anguilla; in Cuba at numerous localities; 

 along Flint River near Bainbridge, Georgia; and in eastern Mexico." 



I also remarked that Diploastrea might ultimately become a 

 synonym of CyatJwtnorpha. I am referring the Crocus Bay specimen 

 to Oyatlwmorplia roxhoroughi Vaughan, new species (see page 461 of 

 this paper), and am referring the Mexican specimen to Cyathomorpha 

 (intiguensis (Duncan) Vaughan (p. 466 of this paper). Diploastrea, 

 OijathomorpJia, and Oulastrea are closely related genera. All are 

 finigid corals that resemble in habit the genus Orhicella, and all have 

 been confused with it. Diploastrea has more coarsely dentate and 

 more perforate septa than CyathoTnorpha , and it lacks the prominent, 

 wide pali of Cyathmnorpha: but the inner septal teeth of Diploastrea 

 in many instances simulate pali. For the present at least it is desirable 

 to treat each as a valid genus. According to Reuss (see p. 455 of this 

 paper), AgatMphyllia differs from Cyathomorplia in not having pali; 

 therefore, Diploastrea may be a synonym of Agathiphyllia. 



Before discussing the species here referred to Diploastrea, mention 

 will be made of two species — Brachypliyllia eckeli ^ and Brachy- 

 phyllia irregulans - described by Duncan from St. Croix, Trinidad. 

 These, according to the figures, are fungid corals, and probably are 

 referable to Diploastrea. The costae of the type-species of Diploastrea 

 are either confluent or notched in the intercorallite areas. Brachy- 

 pJiyllia, until the type-species, B. dormitzeri, has been studied and 



1 Geol. Soc. London Quart. .Tonrn., vol. 24, p. 13, pi. 2, flg. 1, 1S67. 



2 Idem, p. 13, pi. 2, fifi;. 5. 



