FAMILIES AND GEIfEEA OF THE MADREPOEAEIA. 



3 



disappear, and that a very considerable number of genera are 

 abolished. 



The reasons for altering or abolishing generic diagnoses are 

 usually stated. Some liberty has been taken with many generic 

 descriptions ; they have been rewritten, rearranged in details, 

 and often shortened ^. 



The word colony has been used to describe a compound 

 corallum. 



An explanation of the morphological and structural terminology 

 is placed at the close of the revision. 



The Suborder ZOANTHARIA SCLERODERMATA, Ed. & H. 



The Sclerodermic Zoantharia of Milne-Edwards and Jules 

 Haime f are a suborder of the class Anthozoa, type Coelenterata. 

 According to the authors just mentioned, there are five sections 

 of the suborder : — The Madeepoeaeia Apoeosa, Peefoeata, 

 TuBULOSA, Taetjlata, and E^raosA. 



It must be admitted that there is no diflSeuity in accepting two 

 of these sections, w^ith certain new limits to them, namely the 

 Madreporaria Aporosa and the Madreporaria Perforata. The 

 section Tubulosa no hmger exists, and the section Tabulata has 

 been eliminated by H. N. Moseley. The section " Eugosa " is 

 not considered in this memoir. 



Section Madreporaria Aporosa^ Ed. ^ H. 



In typical forms of this section the walls of the corallites 

 are solid and the greater part or all of the septal laminae 

 also. There is no communication between the visceral 

 cavities of neighbouring corallites through the theca or wall. 



Section Madreporaria Perforata. 

 In typical forms of this section the walls and sometimes 

 the septa are perforate, and the soft parts of one corallite 



* Genera date from their time of description, not from that of simple deline- 

 ation. Hypothetical genera are not recorded. 



t 'Histoire naturelle des Coralliaircs ' (Paris, 1857--1860), vol. i. 



1* 



