222 DE. G. J. HINDE ON SEPTASTR^A, d'oEBIGNT (1849), 



interseptal spaces of the immature calices of Lonsdale's species is 

 not seen in G. Forbesi : nevertheless the alliance of the species is 

 very close." As regards the columella, there is absolutely no 

 difference between this structure in the two species, in both it is 

 only a pseudo-columella ; it is also a fact, though not, apparently, 

 noticed by Prof. Duncan, that the immature calices with open 

 interspaces, which he claims as a particular feature in S. seocradiata, 

 are equally present in S. Forbesi, and the differences between the 

 two species are, as stated above, reduced to the further development 

 of the tertiary septa and the union of some of them to the secon- 

 daries in the former species. 



How close the alliance of the species really is may be judged 

 from the fact, already mentioned, that Prof. Duncan unwittingly 

 pronounced the typical figured specimen of Lonsdale's S. sexradiata 

 to be a specimen of S. Forbesi. 



Distribution. Tertiary: Miocene. Evergreen, James's Eiver, 

 Petersburg, Yirginia, IJ.S.A. 



The original specimen is in the Museum of King's College, 

 London ; it was probably presented by Sir Charles Lyell *, who 

 collected it himself, and stated that, lying on the beach of James's 

 E-iver, were masses of the coral upwards of two feet wide, which 

 had been washed out of a shell-marl. 



The above are the only species which can be strictly included in 

 the genus Se-piastrcea as amended ; there are several other species 

 which have been placed in it by various authors, and I propose 

 briefly to point out the reasons for excluding them from the genus. 



Septastr^a mtjltilateralis, E. & H. 



1847. Astroea multilateralis, Mich. Icon. Zooph. pp. 61, 311, 

 pi. 12. fig. 10. 



1850. Sejotastrcea multilateralis, E. & H. Ann. des Sci. JSTat. 3^ 

 ser. t. xii. p. 164. 



J 857. Septastrcea geometrica, E. & H. Hist. IS'at. des Corall, t. ii. 

 p. 450. 



There is a very excellent example of this species in the British 

 JS^atural History Museum ; it agrees with Septastroia in its principal 

 characters, but there is no thickening and infilling by stereoplasm 

 of the upper portion of the corallites (a distinguishing feature of 

 Septastrcea), further, the dissepiments are not horizontal and they 

 are vesicular. The original specimen is from the Miocene strata, 

 near Bordeaux, France. 



SePTASTR^A (?) "EIRTOLAMELLATA, E. & H. 



1847. Astrcea hirtolamellata, Mich. Icon. Zooph. p. 162, pi. 44. 

 fig. 5. 



1850. Septastrcea (?) hirtolamellata, E. & H. Ann. des. Sci. Nat. 

 3® ser. t. xii. p. 165. 



The descriptions given of this species are very slight, but it is 

 evident that the upper portion of the corallites is not infilled with 



* Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. 1845, vol i. p. 416. 



