CORALS OF THE LIAS OF ENGLAND AND S. WALES. 181 



Liassic Corals ' in 1867, some better-preserved specimens of a species 

 of Montivaltia, of which he gave a woodcut, have been obtained. 

 The illustration was taken from a cast of the calice, which came from 

 the White Lias at Print Hill, Warwickshire. Dr. Duncan believed 

 that it belonged either to Montlivaltia Haimei or to one of its varie- 

 ties. After a careful examination of a great many specimens, I have 

 arrived at the conclusion that it is quite distinct from that species ; 

 and I describe it thus : — 



Wall basal, and either flat or concave inferiorly, in no instance 

 showing any tendency to enclose the calice, which is quite open 

 laterally. It is thin, and exhibits but little appearance of concentric 

 markings. Calice evenly but very moderately convex, extending 

 laterally beyond the wall, and with but little appearance of a central 

 fossula. There are four cycles of septa, and a fifth which is merely 

 rudimentary. The primary ones are strongly developed, and meet 

 and unite in the centre, but they do not there form a spurious 

 columella. The secondary ones are much less strongly marked and 

 less exsert than the primary ones, but reach to near the centre ; and 

 the tertiary ones attain to two thirds of the length of the primary 

 ones. They all have their superior margin papillated ; but the 

 papillae are not half so numerous or so regular as in Montlivaltia 

 Hairnet, Chap, et Dewal. The largest specimen I have seen has 

 a diameter of -f- of an inch. Smaller examples show a more simple 

 septal arrangement, and have only three cycles ; and in these the 

 primary septa are so large as to present something of the star-like 

 aspect of the calice of Montlivaltia radiata, Duncan. 



In general form this coral much more nearly resembles Montli- 

 valtia nurnmiformis, Duncan, than any other Liassic species ; but it 

 is to the Oolitic species Montlivaltia lens that it bears the greatest 

 general resemblance. 



It has been found in the White Lias at the following places :— in 

 Warwickshire, at Harbury, Stoneythorpe, Print Hill, Long Itching- 

 ton, Eatington, Wimpston, and Stockton ; in Worcestershire, at 

 Armscot ; and in Somersetshire and Dorsetshire, at Marshall's Elm 

 near Street, and Pinhay Bay. I also obtained a specimen from 

 Penarth Head in 1860. 



Thecosmilia Terqttemi, Duncan, Supp. Brit Poss. Corals, pt. iv. no. 1 

 p. 16, pi. iii. figs. 7-12, 1867. 



In 1860 Dr. Wright communicated to the Geological Society his 

 paper on the Lower Lias of the South of England, in which he gave 

 a section of a quarry in the Planorbis-heds at Binton, in Worcester- 

 shire. It had been prepared by myself; but I had afterwards an 

 opportunity of adding considerably to the list of fossils in the bottom 

 beds, and of following the section considerably lower down. The 

 lower part of the section I now give, to show the position of Tlieco- 

 smilia Terqu-emi in it. 



