1 1 2 MONOGRAPH OF TOE FOSSIL POLYZOA OF THE 



to be, suborders, to enable us to determine definitely what division of them shall be 

 made. 



To return to the classification of d'Orbigny : Each of his two orders is divided into 

 two suborders, called respectively " Gellulines radicelles," " Centrifugines radicelles" 

 and " Gellulines " and " Centrifugines empates." These are characterized by the colony 

 in the " radicelles " being corneous or testaceous, entire or articulated, but always 

 attached to submarine bodies by the intervention of corneous rootlets. The " empates" 

 are, on the contrary, always testaceous, always in one solid piece, never articulated, 

 sometimes free, but, when attached, it is always by means of the same testaceous 

 substance as that composing the colony or polypidom. So far the classification 

 appeal's to be correct. The characters belonging to the collection of individuals are 

 evidently of less value than those appertaining to the individuals themselves. Of 

 the " radicelles" we have nothing to say at present. They are not represented by a 

 single species in the following paper, and are rarely found fossil. 



In the second suborder of the first order, the families are characterized by the ab- 

 sence or, when present, the number and position of " special pores," (vibracular or 

 avicularial openings), by the presence or absence of fossets on the surface, and by the 

 mouth being closed by a membrane or not. We cannot follow this author in all his 

 divisions, believing that he has attached undue importance to some of these characters. 

 The fact of the mouth being closed or not by an opercular membrane is certainly a 

 much more important character than the presence or absence of fossets or rows of 

 pores traversing the surface of the cellule, especially when we consider that many 

 species of the Escharidce and allied families have the surfaces of the cellules perforated 

 by pores, differing only from the Escliarellidoi in their being placed irregularly instead 

 of in radiating or transverse rows. In fact, we have serious doubts whether the 

 " special fossets " may not be represented, in some of the species, by mere depressed 

 grooves, not at all perforating the surface walls of the cellule. For the above- reasons 

 we have united those families, the distinguishing characters of which are the presence 

 of special fossets with the corresponding families not provided with these fossets, but 

 retaining the other characters. We have, however, retained them as subfamilies, 

 trusting that some facts may transpire to decide on the true positions of the species 

 composing them. 



We have, therefore, two divisions of this suborder, as follows: 

 I. Gellulata non opercidata. 



A. Without special pores near the opening, . . Fam. Escharidce. 

 * Without pores or fossets arranged in transverse rows or ra- 

 diating (special fossets of d'Orb.) . . . Subfam. Esckarince. 



** With special fossets, " Escharellince. 



B. One pore to a certain number of the cellules, . . Phidoloporido\ 



