1848.] LONSDAI-E ON FOSSIL ZOOPHYTES. 8/ 



fossil and the perfected exterior of that found at the Red Hill cut- 

 ting were not observed ; but wherever the original coral-layer had 

 been accidentally removed from the crests of the latter, the sub- 

 jacent substance consisted of brown calcareous spar, resembling that 

 alluded to in the remarks on Mr. Austen's specimen ; and in both 

 cases a fine lamina could frequently be detected in the spar, not 

 ranging in the direction of the crest, but transversely or obliquely to 

 it. The broad lamellae-casts (fig. 12''') often displayed a slightly 

 raised line, moulded clearly in the crest of the perfect external layer ; 

 and the whole surface was minutely indented or pitted ; but it would 

 be difficult to infer from it, or even from' abraded portions, without 

 other aid, the actual composition of the lamellae. Nearly vertical 

 sections (fig. 13) afforded however the requisite evidence. By con- 

 necting the surjface-ridges with the projections between the vacant 

 abdominal cavities, it was manifest the structure of the projections 

 must be that of the ridges, and the section proved it to be irregularly 

 cellular. The breadth of these lamellated interspaces, as well as 

 their characters, varied greatly on account of the exposed surface sel- 

 dom passing through equivalent areas, or through similar portions 

 of a lamella. Sometimes a single series of cells or arched laminse 

 indicated that the cutting passed through only one of the surface- 

 ridges ; but generally the space included two or more irregular, ver- 

 tical rows, marking the intersection of an equivalent number of ribs 

 or lamellae. The boundary between the series was seldom well-de- 

 fined, consisting chiefly of curved downward extensions of the laminse 

 forming the top of the cell ; and it agreed, therefore, with that of 

 abdominal cavities. The cells varied greatly in form, size and posi- 

 tion, and it was often difficult to trace the complete contour ; but 

 the component element was clearly an arched plate ; and the changes, 

 whether in outline, dimensions or situation, were only such as would 

 naturally result from the secreting membranes having been success- 

 ively produced as the coral extended upwards. These cells were ma- 

 nifestly the hollows of the Peasemarsh specimen covered over ; and 

 the irregular manner in which they were often piled on each other 

 would account for the complete filling-up between the crests of the 

 perfected exterior. That the crests themselves were not detected in 

 the sections, was ascribed to not an instance being observed of a di- 

 rectly transverse intersection of a lamella. Within the cells frequently 

 occurred subordinate, thinner laminae, not referable, it was conceived, 

 to dislocated fragments, but they bore the semblance of a secondary 

 structure more or less produced within the primary. In some recent 

 corals, as the Dendrophyllia ramea of M. de Blainville, a considerable 

 filling-up is effected in the area of the abdominal cavity not imme- 

 diately occupied by the stomach-sac. The two cases are not strictly 

 analogous ; nevertheless the animal matter which occupied the cells 

 in Cyathophora^. elegans was doubtlessly nourished by the digestive 

 organs, so long as they occupied a position to afford support to a 

 given vertical area ; and in addition to the minute pores in the sides 

 of the cavities, the Peasemarsh specimen showed that the ymrtitions 

 between successive cells were also finely punctured, aflbrding addi- 



