FAMILIES AND GEN^ERA OE THE MADEEPORAEIA. 25 



bluntly or sharply pointed at the non-adherent base ; shape 

 variable, low and broad, cornute, compressed or not, cuneiform, 

 turbinate, sub turbinate, elongate, often enlarging near the calico. 

 Calice circular or elliptical, deep or moderately deep. Septa 

 variable in the number of cycles. Pali well developed in one 

 crown. Columella fascicular, twisted, often ending in blunt 

 processes. Costse distinct or not, crested or spined rarely. 

 Epitheca pellicular or absent or dense. Endotheca very rarely 

 exists. 



Distribution. — Fossil. Cretaceous : England, Europe, Southern 

 India. Eocene : Europe and Asia. Miocene, Pliocene : Europe. — 

 Recent. Littoral and deep sea, very general. 



The essential generic attributes are the simple corallum, fasci- 

 cular trabeculate columella, and a single crown of pali . Groups 

 of individuals are sometimes found ; but the apparent compound 

 corallum is produced by the accidental adhesion of ova to the 

 outside of the corallum of the parent. 



Subgenus Acanthoctathtjs. Eorms with spines on the lateral 

 or larger costse. 



The genus BatJiyeyatlius, Ed. &H.,is absorbed in Caryopliyllia. 

 Blastocyathus, E-euss, is a CaryopJiyllia with accidentally adhe- 

 rent buds. 



Dunoeyatlius, T. Woods, Proc. Linn. Soc. JN'ew South Wales, 

 vol. ii. 1878, p. 305 : — " Corallum simple, parasitic ; base and 

 side immersed in a calcareous organism. One row of pali." 



In the determination of the species it is mentioned that the 

 edges of the septa are denticulate, or set with irregular lobes and 

 points. Columella papillary. Diameter 2 millim. 



Distribution. Port Jackson. 



I think that the description of the solitary specimen of the very 

 small coral can hardly be of suf&cient value, and that the genus 

 must be absorbed. 



G-enus Stenoctathus, PourtaUs, lllustr. Cat. Mus. Comp. Zool. 

 Harvard, No. iv. ; Deep-Sea Corals, 1871, p. 9. 



Corallum simple, free, very elongated, and of nearly equal 

 dimensions throughout. A single crown of pali. A columella of 

 one or more twisted processes. Epitheca absent. 



Distribution. — 'Recent, Caribbean Sea and Azores. 

 ■ The genus has some of the features of OncJiotrochus, but 



