136 BRITISH FOSSIL CORALS. 



from the above-described fossil ; and we must only add, that most of them have been 

 mentioned by M. D'Orbigny, under the generic denominations of Amhlophyllia and 

 Lasmophyllia} 



Genus Latomeandra, (p. xxxiv.) 



1. Latomeandra Plemingi. Tab. XXVII, figs. 9, 9«r. 



Corallum composite, massive, rather tall ; its upper surface horizontal, or slightly 

 convex, and presenting large deep calices, which are sometimes completely circumscribed, 

 but are in general confluent in one direction, so as to form furrows of unequal length, but 

 rarely long. The mural ridges situated between these furrows are always simple, not much 

 elevated, and terminated by a well-defined edge, which, when slightly worn down, shows 

 very distinctly the walls themselves. The calices are rather deep, especially in the adult 

 corallites, and the young individuals are formed at a considerable distance from the centre of 

 the visceral chamber of the parent. The septa are very thin, closely set, narrow towards the 

 top, delicately crenulated along their edge, straight or slightly curved, and unequal in size 

 alternately ; in the larger calices there are about sixty of these radiate laminse ; they 

 become almost parallel in the furrows ; but even there the different corallites are in general 

 distinct, and have each a separate fossula. Diameter of the calices, or breadth of the 

 furrows in general, 4 lines ; depth, 2 lines. 



Found in the Inferior Oolite at Crickley, near Cheltenham, by Dr. Wright. 



We are inclined to think that the fossil coral mentioned by Mr. Conybeare and 

 Mr. W. Phillips," as being intermediate between Astrea and Meandrina, and as having 

 been found in the Inferior Oolite, may belong to this species. 



The genus Latomeandra was established a few years ago by M. D'Orbigny,^ but that 

 palaeontologist restricted the group to those species which assume a somewhat dendroid 

 form, and constitute series which remain free laterally ; those which have the same structure, 

 but are of a massive form, are referred to our genus OidophjUia, or to three new generical divi- 

 sions which he designates under the names of Axopltyllia, Microphyllia, and ComopJi//Uia, but 

 which do not appear to be founded on characters of sufficient value. The specimen from which 

 the definition of the genus Axophyllia was taken presents, in some calices, the appearance 

 of a styliform columella, but that is due to an accident of fossilization, and is produced by 

 the presence of a small calcareous concretion in the fossula. In the genus Comophyllia the 

 calices appear to be very shallow, a peculiarity of small importance, and in the genus 



1 D'Orbigny, Prod, de Paleont., vols, i, ii. 



2 Outlines of the Geol. of England, p. 245, 1822. 

 ^ Note sur des Polypiers Fossiles, p. 8, 1849. 



