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  R. 
  E. 
  TOMES 
  ON 
  A 
  NEW 
  SPECIES 
  OF 
  COKAL. 
  

  

  The 
  under 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  corallum 
  is 
  hidden 
  in 
  the 
  matrix, 
  in 
  

   which 
  the 
  specimen 
  is 
  partly 
  imbedded. 
  

  

  Height 
  of 
  the 
  corallum 
  1 
  inch. 
  

  

  Diameter 
  of 
  the 
  corallum 
  about 
  3 
  inches. 
  

  

  Distance 
  of 
  the 
  calices 
  from 
  each 
  other 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  6 
  lines. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  Ammonites-spincctus 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  Middle 
  Lias 
  marlstone, 
  

   Aston-le- 
  Walls, 
  Oxfordshire. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  A. 
  Walford, 
  to 
  whom 
  I 
  am 
  indebted 
  

   for 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  only 
  specimen 
  yet 
  discovered. 
  

  

  Obs. 
  This 
  species 
  appertains 
  to 
  the 
  subgenus 
  Synastrcea, 
  as 
  de- 
  

   fined 
  by 
  M. 
  de 
  Fromentel 
  in 
  his 
  valuable 
  Introduction 
  to 
  the 
  Study 
  

   of 
  Fossil 
  Corals. 
  It 
  is 
  distinctly 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  Fungidse, 
  the 
  synapti- 
  

   culae 
  being 
  of 
  a 
  typical 
  kind. 
  In 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  Thamnastrcece 
  the 
  

   endotheca, 
  though 
  not 
  by 
  any 
  means 
  dessepimental, 
  is 
  nevertheless 
  

   composed 
  of 
  synapticulse 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  of 
  a 
  typical 
  form. 
  This 
  is 
  

   probably 
  the 
  reason 
  why 
  the 
  Thamnastrcece 
  were 
  placed 
  by 
  MM. 
  

   Edwards 
  and 
  Haime 
  with 
  the 
  Astraeidae. 
  M. 
  de 
  Fromentel, 
  however, 
  

   as 
  long 
  ago 
  as 
  in 
  1858-61, 
  when 
  his 
  work 
  above 
  referred 
  to 
  was 
  

   published, 
  had 
  clearly 
  distinguished 
  a 
  species 
  from 
  the 
  Corallian 
  of 
  

   Champlitte 
  as 
  appertaining 
  to 
  the 
  Fungidae, 
  and 
  spoke 
  of 
  it 
  and 
  other 
  

   affined 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  words 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  " 
  Cette 
  espece 
  montre 
  d'une 
  maniere 
  a, 
  peu 
  pres 
  evidente, 
  ce 
  que 
  

   deja, 
  depuis 
  longtemps 
  nous 
  avons 
  remarque, 
  c'est 
  que 
  la 
  plupart 
  des 
  

   Thamnastrees 
  ont 
  des 
  synapticules 
  et 
  non 
  traverses 
  proprement 
  dites, 
  

   et 
  qu'elles 
  devraient 
  faire 
  partie 
  de 
  la 
  famille 
  des 
  Cyathoseriniens." 
  

  

  The 
  present 
  species, 
  with 
  one 
  before 
  described 
  by 
  me 
  under 
  the 
  

   name 
  of 
  Thamnastrcea 
  Etheridyei*, 
  also 
  from 
  the 
  Middle 
  Lias 
  of 
  

   Oxfordshire, 
  presents 
  the 
  same 
  subgeneric 
  characters 
  which 
  occur 
  

   in 
  Thamnastrcea 
  arachnoicles 
  from 
  the 
  Coral 
  Rag 
  of 
  Steeple 
  Ashton 
  ; 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  some 
  degree 
  remarkable 
  that 
  the 
  only 
  species 
  which 
  

   have 
  yet 
  been 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  the 
  English 
  Lias 
  should 
  resemble 
  the 
  

   Coral-Hag 
  rather 
  than 
  the 
  Inferior-Oolite 
  forms. 
  

  

  Discussion. 
  

  

  Prof. 
  Duncan 
  remarked 
  on 
  the 
  interest 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Tomes 
  having 
  

   found 
  a 
  compound 
  coral 
  in 
  the 
  Middle 
  Lias, 
  but 
  he 
  had 
  a 
  doubt 
  

   whether 
  the 
  specimen 
  was 
  sufficiently 
  well 
  preserved 
  to 
  found 
  a 
  new 
  

   species 
  upon. 
  He 
  was 
  inclined 
  to 
  think 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  very 
  near 
  to, 
  if 
  

   not 
  identical 
  with, 
  the 
  Thamnastrcea 
  Walcotti, 
  Dune, 
  of 
  the 
  Inferior 
  

   Oolite. 
  He 
  stated 
  that 
  to 
  Reuss 
  belonged 
  the 
  merit 
  of 
  removing 
  

   the 
  Thamnastrcece 
  from 
  the 
  Astraeidae 
  and 
  placing 
  them 
  among 
  the 
  

   Fungidae. 
  

  

  The 
  President 
  spoke 
  of 
  the 
  high 
  value 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Tomes's 
  work 
  on 
  

   the 
  fossil 
  Corals 
  of 
  "Warwickshire. 
  He 
  agreed 
  with 
  Prof. 
  Duncan 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  bad 
  state 
  of 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  specimen. 
  

  

  * 
  Quart. 
  Journ. 
  Geol. 
  Soc. 
  1878, 
  vol. 
  xxxiv. 
  p. 
  190. 
  

  

  