144 BRITISH FOSSIL CORALS. 



CHAPTER XII. 



CORALS FROM THE LIAS. 



Very few Corals have as yet been found in the Lias. Two species belonging to the 

 family of the Turbinolidts have lately been discovered in a stratum of that formation at 

 Ilminster, by Mr. C, Moore; and there is in the collection of the Geological Society 

 of London a third species, which is labelled as having been found in the Lias, but without 

 any indication of locality : it appears to belong to the family of the CtjatlioplitjUida, and 

 may, more probably, have been met with in some older deposit, for as yet all the well- 

 characterised Ci/athojihi/UidcB are peculiar to the Palaeozoic formations. We have also 

 remarked in Mr. Walton's collection a cast that appears to belong to a Montlivaltia, and 

 was found by that Palaeontologist in the Lias at Wistonj and we must add, that the 

 occurrence of a Coral at Fenny Compton Tunnel, on the Oxford Canal, was pointed out by 

 Messrs. Conybeare and W. Phillips/ who considered that fossil as being referable to Tur- 

 binolia or Madrejjora turhinata of former zoologists. 



Family— TURBINOLIDiE, (p. xi.) 



Genus Thecocyathus, (p. xiv.) 



Thecocyathus MooRii. Tab. XXX, figs. G, 6a. 



Corallum simple, turbinate, short and thick, straight and adherent, and provided with 

 a thin epitheca, through which straight, and almost equal costal striae are visible. Calice 

 circular, not very deep. Columella well-developed, trabicular. Sejjfa rather thin, granu- 

 lated laterally, and forming four complete cycla; those of the last cyclum converging 

 towards the tertiary ones, and joining them at then' inner edge. Pali corresponding to 

 all the septa of the first three cycla ; those of the first two cycla small, and differing but 

 little ; those that correspond to the third cyclum of septa greatly developed, and distinctly 

 bilobate ; their inner lobe thin, and much resembling the neighbouring pali ; the outer 

 lobe very thick, and granulated. Height, 3 lines ; diameter of the calice almost as much. 



This interesting fossil was communicated to us by Mr. C. Moore, of Ilminster, who 

 found it on the Upper Lias near that town. 



* Outlines of the Gcol. of England, p. 2/0. 



