3 
HI.— DIFFICULTIES MET WITH IN AN ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY 
EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN SPECIES OF HALYSITES. 
Many species have been described from time to time, but from the variability 
that appears to exist in the macroscopic characters — such as size of the 
corallites and fenestrates, 1 length of the corallite chains, 2 and supposed 
presence or absence of spiniform septa, &c., and possibly from the absence of 
microscopic details — the species, both European and American, were reduced 
by Messrs. H. Milne-Edwards and Jules Haime to two, viz., Hetty sites 
catenularius, Linn., and H. escharoides, Lamk. The two corals in question 
were separated by these authors, chiefly on the grounds that the corallites 
differed in size, but both were said to possess twelve spiniform septa in a 
cycle. * 
An effort to establish the identity of our Australasian Halysites has 
caused me to peruse a good deal of the literature relating to the genus, and 
I have been forced to the conclusion that an entire revision of the described 
species is necessary. This is, of course, out of the question on my part ; but 
1 have selected some of the more important writers, both old and recent, 
whose remarks are referred to with the view of testing the validity of Edwards 
and Haime’s subdivision and synonomy. I have further endeavoured to 
reduce my notes to tabular form, restricting the characters to those only 
possessing the highest morphological value. I cannot help coming to the 
conclusion that a great deal of confusion has arisen through mis-identifleation 
— the H. catenularius of one author being the H. escharoides of another, and 
so on. 
1826. — Goldfuss (A.). 3 — Described and figured two species, Catenipora 
escharoides, Lamk. 4 (with which he united C. catenulata , 5 6 Linn.), and C. 
labyrinthica, Goldf. 0 The only anatomical detail to be made out is the 
presence of autopores. 7 
1 The vacuities or interspaces formed by the union of the lines of corallites ; the lacunae or “ irregular 
reticulations ” of Edwards and Haime. 
2 .The lines of corallites forming the boundaries of a fenestrule. 
2 Goldfuss, Petrefacta Germanise, 1826, pi. xxv, f. 4-5b. 
4 Halysites escharoides, Edw. and Haime, 1852 and 1854. 
5 This name will be invariably spelt as by the author quoted. 
6 Halysites catenularia, Edw. and Haime, 1852 and 1854. 
1 The largest corallites in a chain. 
