242 



ACTINOZOA. 



first appear in the Chalk, while very many are 

 common to the Tertiary and Eecent periods. But 

 few Eecent species of Corals occur in a fossil state. 

 It appears also from the preceding tables that 

 six genera of Corals range through four periods, 

 thirty-four through three, and sixty-eight through 

 two. Some genera, however, arise in one forma- 

 tion, are apparently absent from the next, but ao-ain 

 present themselves at a subsequent period. Of 

 this seeming anomaly Millepora furnishes an ex- 

 ample. Such instances must always be received 

 with suspicion, since they are probably due to 

 defective observation. 



2. History of Zoantliaria. 



All extinct Zoantharia belong to the group of 

 Sclerodermata, with the exception of a few slight 

 indications of Antipathidce which appear in the 

 Tertiary period. The Malacodermata are wholly 

 recent. On the other hand, the small group of 

 Tubulosa does not survive the Paleozoic epoch. 

 But two families of Zoantliaria, Thecidce and 



On 

 the whole it may be said that Tabulata prevail in 

 the Paleozoic deposits, Aporosa and Perforata in 

 those which succeed. Tabulata are comparatively 

 scarce in strata anterior to the Carboniferous, 

 though no geological period is without some 

 representative of this division, and in modern 



Auloporidce, have altogether disappeared. 



seas four genera have been observed. 



A single 



genus, Palceocyclus, which occurs in the Silurian 

 period, is the only known representative of Aporosa 

 in strata older than the Trias. The Perforata are 

 represented in the Paleozoic rocks by two genera, 

 but, excepting these, no other forms of the group 



