60 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



cinal pattern of five-sided divisions, unequal in size. This differs 

 mainly from F. asp era, in having its surface convex instead of flat. 

 A broken piece of F. asjpera, however, will show the edges of the 

 tubes toothed, instead of smoothly columnar as in F. Gothlandica. F. 

 multipora has its calices equal in size, and very regular. These three 

 species are the giants of their tribe, specimens weighing sixty or 

 eighty pounds are not uncommon in the Wenlock shale of Dudley, or 

 Benthall Edge. A little below the Wych-pass at Great Malvern, 

 where the Wenlock-shale rests against the west flank of the hill, a 

 reef of Favosites crosses the footway, and may be traced in an un- 

 broken line for some yards. 



The calices of F. Forhesii are very unequal in size, and quite circu- 

 lar ; this, though a massive species, never attains the size of its allies. 

 A side view of F. fibrosa gives one the idea of a bundle of slender 

 needles ; consequently its calices are scarcely discernible without a 

 lens. F. cristata is the only true branching Favosite ; it may be 

 known from other arborescent corals by the u"regularity of form pre- 

 sented by its calices. 



Alveolites is the genus most allied to the one I have been describ- 

 ing. It differs in this important and easily recognized particular ; 

 the calices of Favosites come up to the surface free and independent 

 of each other, whereas in Alveolites each appears to overlap and in- 

 trude upon its neighbour, though not so in reality. The largest 

 massive species, A. LahecJieii is perhaps the most elegant in its calici- 

 nal pattern. A. Grayii is much like it, but has a flat instead of convex 

 top, and the irregularity of the calices detract much from its beauty. 

 A. repens is a very commonly met with branched species. A. (?) sevia- 

 topofoides is branched also, but seems intermediate between this genus 

 and the next, Goenites, for the calices are very sparely set among a greatly- 

 developed coenenchyma, are quite cu'cular, and arranged in perpendi- 

 cular order. These Goenites are beautiful branching corals, to be seen 

 in every slab of Wenlock limestone ; and though of small size, are not 

 the least important of fossil zoophytes. The branches of G. jun iperi- 

 nus are round, or nearly so, and bear calices shaped like the Zodiacal 

 sign Aquarius, or, to use a still more familiar simile, like birds upon 

 the wing. The calices of G. intertextus have shorter and less elegant 

 wings ; while G. linearis is massive instead of br^inching, and has 



