514 Notices of Memoirs — G. R. Vine on Fossil Polyzoa. 



1825. Stomatopora, Bronn. 

 1821. AJecto, Lamx. 1826, Aulopora (pars), Goldfass. 



"Zoarium closely arlnate throughout, simple or irregularly 

 branched ; branches linear or ligulate ; cells disposed in a simple 

 series or in more or less regular transverse rows of from two to four." ' 



A few types of this genus are present in the Palfeozoic rocks of 

 this country — in the Devonian of Eifel — and in America. 



James Hall, in his Pal. of New York, vol. i., records the existence 

 of Alecto inflata in the Trenton Limestone. This is a very simple 

 serial species of a most remarkable type. From the same stratum 

 he records another species, Aulopora arachnoidea, altogether differ- 

 ent from the first type. Except that Hall calls these species 

 "corals," there is not in his descriptions any characters that would 

 prevent them being properly placed with the Polyzoa. I have 

 already alluded to this species A. inflata, Hall, when writing of 

 Sippothoa. I now restore it to its proper place. 



1874. Alecto auloporides, Nich.- 



,, frondosa =: Aulopora frondosa, James. 

 1874. ,, confusa, Nich. 



These seem to be true Stomatopora (Alecto of Busk), and their 

 existence is recorded by Nicholson as appearing in the Lower 

 Silurian or Hudson River Group. One species, A. aidoporides, as 

 a branching form survives into the Niagara Limestone. In the 

 Caradoc series of Fossils in the School of Mines, a small specimen 

 of Polyzoa is marked Heteropora, allied to H. crassa.^ This is a 

 very peculiar species, but in no way related to Heteropora as now 

 imderstood. The cells are short and tubular, alternately placed on 

 the sides of the branch, very similar to the figure given by Nicholson. 

 Having carefully examined the specimen, I therefore — temporarily 

 — place it as a variety, at least, of Stomatopora aidoporides, Nich. 



I have, since the above was written, discovered no less than three 

 distinct types of Stomatopora in the Up. Silurian Shales of Shrop- 

 shire. One I have figured and described — S. dissimilis, Vine.* The 

 others I have not yet sufficient details to allow of full description. I 

 have also discovered two species of Ascodictyon,^ full details of which 

 will be published. In King's Monograph of Permian Fossils, pi. 3, 

 fig. 13, a figure is given of — apparently — a badly preserved speci- 

 men of Stomatopora. It very much resembles the species of Hall, 

 but no cell-mouths are given. King names it Aidopora [Stomato- 

 pora) Yoigtiana, King. 



1839. Diastopora [Aulopora) consimilis, Lonsd. 

 A species of Polyzoa, named as above, is in the Ketley Collection 

 at the School of Mines. It is found in the Wenlock Limestone 

 Series, but no locality is given. This is the Aulopora consimilis, 



1 Busk, Cyclostomata, p. 22. 



2 Paper read at Brit. Assoc. Belfast; printed, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1875. 



3 Catalogue of Silurian Fos. p. 44, case vii. oV. 

 * Geol. Soc. Pap. read June 22, 1881. 



5 Nicholson, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. June, 1877. 



