360 a. E. TINE ON THE FAMILY BIASTOPORID^. 



the more recent members. If the whole are to be classified under 

 one family name, a course highly advantageous to the study of" 

 Polyzoa, it will be necessary to take into consideration the more pro- 

 minent characters, and place the species of the different formations- 

 under suitable genera. I have already suggested this course to Prof 

 IN'icholson ; and he writes me as follows : — " The Palaeozoic Polyzoa 

 of the types Ceramojyora, Berenicea, and Biastopora are at present 

 in a totally chaotic condition, and must all be reworked out by 

 modern methods." In accordance with this suggestion I now pro- 

 pose, either for acceptance or discussion, the following grouping of the 

 family, premising at the same time that the whole of the Palaeozoic 

 Polyzoa are being reworked out by myself for the purpose of classi- 

 fication, and, if permissible, wiU be submitted, from time to timc,- 

 to the Society for consideration. 



Class POLYZOA, J. Y. Thomson. 



Subclass HoLOEEANCHiA, E. Eay Lankester. 



Order Gymnol^mata, AUman. 



Suborder II. Cyclostomata, Busk. 



Family lY. Diastopoeidj-;, Busk*. 



Eecent and Tertiary . . Genus I. Biastojjora^ Johnston. 



Secondary „ II. To be reworked. 



Palaeozoic (in part) . . „ III. Ceramopora, Hallf- 

 Palaeozoic (in part) . . „ lY. Berenicea, M'Coy's description 



restricted. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XIII. 



Pig. 1. Ceramo'pora megastoona {Berenicea, M'Coy), Lower Carboniferous Liaie- 

 stone shales, Hairmyres, Scotland. The common adherent form.. 

 In some specimens the " ectocyst" is well preserved in fragments ; 

 when this is so, a delicately punctured structure enyelops the cells. 



2. Slightly rubbed polyzoary, showing the "interstitial tubuli " of Nichol- 



son (" Polyzoa from Silurian Eocks of North America." Ann. & Mag. 

 Nat. Hist., March 1875). 



3. Specimen, more transparent, showing a greater abundance of the- 



" tubuH." 

 Eigs. 4, 5. Slightly oblique cells and interstitial tubuli. In many of the tubuli 

 there are the remains of fluids (chylaqueous ?), in the form of iron- 

 pyrites. 

 (From drawings by the aid of camera lucida by my son, G. E. Vine, jun.) 



* Fain. lY. BiastoporidcB, Busk, ' Marine Polyzoa,'" pt. 3. 

 t Ceramox^ora, Hall, Pal. of New York, vol. ii. 1852.. 



