ANIMALS. 39 



connecting processes, which, on account of their arched or angulated form, their being 

 celluhferous, and their occasionally becoming modified into stems, remove it from the 

 genus {Fenestella), in which it has hitherto been placed. It differs from Polt/pora, 

 M'Coy, equally as regards the connecting processes ; also in the serial arrangement of 

 the cellules. I am not aware of the existence of any other species but the one 

 following. 



Synocladia virgulacea, Phillips. Plate III, fig. 14 ; Plate IV, figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 



7, and 8. 



(?) Reticulated Alcyonite, Winch. Trans. Geol. Soc. Lond., 1st series, vol. iv, p. 10, 



1817. 

 (?) — — „ Conybeare and Phillips, p. 305, 1822. 



Retepoua virgulacea, Phillips. Trans. Geol, Soc. Lond., 2d series, vol. iii, p. 120, 



pi. xii, fig. 6-, 1829. 



— — „ De la Beche, Geol. Man., p. 385, 1831 ; Germ. 



Transl.,p.459, 1832; and 3d Eng. Ed., p. 572, 1833- 



— — „ Encyc. Met., vol. vi, p. 615, pi. iii, fig. 2, 1834. 



— — „ Thomson, Min. Geol., vol. ii, p. 294, 1836. 

 GoKGONiA DUBiA, ScMotheim. Morris, Catalogue, p. 38, 1843. 



Fenestella virgulacea, Phillips. Bull Soc. G^ol. France, 2°° s6rie, vol. i, p. 25, 1844. 



— — „ Geol. Russ., vol. i, p. 221, 1845. 



— — „ Tennant, Strat. List, p. 88, 1847. 



— — „ King, Catalogue, p. 6, 1848. 



— — „ Howse, T. N. F. C„ vol. i, p. 263, 1848. 



Diagnosis. — A funnel-shaped, multi-foliaceous Synocladia, springing from a small 

 root. Foliations more or less folded and convoluted. Stems somewhat strong, often 

 dividing. Cellules in from three to five furrows. Dividing ridges with the (?) gemmu- 

 liferous vesicles alternating with the cellule-apertures. Branches or connecting processes 

 in general angulated midway between two adjoining stems ; furnished, for the most 

 part, with two rows of cellules ; and occasionally becoming modified into stems 

 or ribs. 



This beautiful Coral is often found attaining a large size, but rarely in a complete 

 state, owing to its foliations readily separating from each other : what is generally 

 seen is only one frond belonging to a single individual. It varies somewhat in a few 

 of its characters ; as in the width of the stem-interstices, the greater or less divarication 

 of the stems producing a corresponding change in the meshes : when the stems are 

 close to each other, the connecting branches or processes lose their normal character, 

 passing across the interspaces obliquely or horizontally ; and where they are much 

 separated from each other, the branches become converted into stems. When the 

 branches, forming a consecutive set, are modified in this manner, they offer a striking 



