ii BRITISH FOSSIL CORALS. 



cation of the Monograph already alhided to, whilst the majority of Palaeontologists have 

 graduivlly learned to appreciate the value of the evidence afforded by Corals in many of 

 the most important geological inquiries. 



MM. Milne-Edwards and Jules Haime had not the advantages of the inspection of 

 many collections made by private individuals and provincial Geological Societies, from 

 the lower members of the Lias and from the Mountain-limestone ; they had not an oppor- 

 tunity of studying the Coral-fauna of Brockenhurst ; and time as well as some unintentional 

 difficulties prevented their examining many of the most interesting forms from some of 

 oxu- Museums. 



It has been felt, moreover, that although the " Introduction " in the First Part of the 

 ' Monograph on the British Fossil Corals' was a great advance on all that had been done 

 before, still the absence of those anatomical details which were so elaborately given in the 

 ' Histoire Naturelle des Coralliaires' rendered the Monograph of no very great practical 

 value. 



No one could comprehend the minute details which distinguish species, by the study 

 of the " Introduction " alone, but a very superficial examination of the ' Histoire Naturelle 

 des Coralliaires ' renders the anatomy of Corals, and the principles of their classification, 

 easy of comprehension. 



It is of very little use having detailed descriptions of species unless the anatomy of 

 the whole class to which they belong is understood, and the publications of a Society like 

 this should be instructive as well as recording. 



A Supplement, or a Second Series, to the Monograph by MM. Milne-Edwards and 

 Jules Haime is thought to be required. It might introduce the anatomy and physiology 

 of recent Corals, the new genera, with descriptions of new species, and it might embody 

 a general scheme of classification. 



Following the plan adopted for the Brachiopoda in Mr. Davidson's Monograph, the 

 relation between the hard and soft parts of the Corals will be considered, and their anatomy 

 will be explained as correctly and as briefly as is possible. The earlier pages of this Second 

 Series will refer to the fossil Corals of the Tertiary and Secondary rocks, and the classification 

 of the species found in them will be given at once ; that of the Palaeozoic species will not 

 be attempted until after the completion of the description of the Secondaiy Coral-fauna. 



There will be some irregularity in the succession of the pai'ts of the Second Series, for 

 it is necessary to describe those large collections which can be had at once, and which 

 might be scattered after a short period. Thus, the entirely new Coral-fauna of Brocken- 

 hurst, and many new species from Bracklesham, Barton, and Sheppey, will appear first of 

 all ; their description will be followed by that of the hitherto neglected Liassic Coral- 

 fauna ; and the Cretaceous species will be then considered, or the Oolitic, if necessary. 



At the end of the description of the species from every formation, the forms already 

 described by MM. Milne-Edwards and Jules Haime, or others, will be placed in a 

 catalogue, and their last synonyms will be given, the name of the first describer of the 



