4 TABULATE CORALS. 



ozoic Tabulate Corals with existing Species " (Amen Journ. Sci. 

 and Arts, ser. 3, vol. iii. p. 187), in which he forcibly pointed out 

 that the discovery of the Hydrozoal nature oi Millcpora, Lam., 

 did not necessarily carry with it the reference of the whole 

 of the " Tabulata " to the Hydrozoa. On the contrary, he 

 affirms that, " as to the great majority of the ' Tabulata ' and 

 ' Rugosa,' there can no longer be any reasonable doubt " that 

 they are essentially animals of the same nature as " the exist- 

 ing Corals " {i.e., Zoantharid). The family of the PociUoporid(£ 

 is further established for the reception of Pocillopoi^a and its 

 allies ; Colmnnaria is regarded as either a member of the 

 Astra^idcs, or as referable to a closely allied family ; and the 

 FavositidcE are merged with the Poritidce, doubt being ex- 

 pressed as to whether the group can be retained as even a 

 sub-family. 



In the year 1872, also, was published the admirable " Third 

 Report on the British Fossil Corals," by Professor Martin 

 Duncan, which was laid before the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science in 1871, and published in the Report 

 of the Association. In this important memoir Professor 

 Duncan deals very largely with the structure and affinities of 

 the " Tabulate Corals " — his wide knowledge of both livino- and 

 extinct Actinozoa rendering his views upon this subject par- 

 ticularly valuable and suggestive. Various of these views will 

 be noticed subsequently ; and it will be sufficient to state here 

 that he retains the " Tabulata" of Edwards and Haime as a 

 great division of the Zoantharia, subdividing it as shown in the 

 following table : — 



Section Tabulata. 

 Families. 



With cccnenchyma, . . SMJlleporif. Ccenenchyma cellular. 



( Acroporida. Ccenenchyma compact. 



( Favositida. Walls perforated. 



Without ccenenchyma, . . \ LLalysitida;. Walls imperforate. 



' Alveolilidce. Septa tridentate. 



