34 PERMIAN FOSSILS. 
Milne Edwards gives it as his opinion that few Bryozoons or Cilobrachiate Corals 
existed during the early geological periods; late researches, however, show that they 
coexisted with the earliest Actinarians; and they seem to have been considerably 
more abundant than the latter during the Permian epoch. 
Family FENESTELLIDA, King,’ 1849. 
The establishing of this group is obviously called for, now that there are so many 
reticulated genera of Paleozoic Corals possessing a structure which prevents their 
being placed in any of the families already formed. lasmoporide appear to 
have the closest relationship to Menestellide ; but Mr. Lonsdale has shown such a 
marked difference between their respective generic types, that a separation to the 
extent proposed seems to be strongly warranted. Considering Fenestella as the type 
of the family, it is proposed to include in it all those reticulated genera agreeing with 
this genus, in having the cellules planted on a basal plate composed of vertical 
capillary tubes, as first discovered by the author just noticed. Besides Menestella this 
family embraces the Pfy/opora and Polypora of M‘Coy, also the genera Synocladia and 
Phyllopora, shortly to be introduced. 
Genus Fenestella, Miller. 
CERATOPHYTES (RETIFORMIS), Schlotheim. 
GORGONIA (INFUNDIBULIFORMIs), Goldfuss. 
RETEPORA (FLUSTRACEA), Phillips. 
Diagnosis—*< A ramose, cellular, calcareous polypidom ; cells variously distributed 
on one side of the branches, with or without dividing ridges: branches connected by 
transverse or oblique processes cellular or not, forming, generally, expansions or funnel- 
shaped bodies: the latter with the cellular surface sometimes on the inner, sometimes 
on the outer side; cells cylindrical, obliquely arranged, overlying, mouths inclined 
outwards, more or less distant; interior of mature specimens, a layer of vertical 
capillary tubuli; reverse side of young specimens, the layer of tubuli of mature 
specimens, a crust perforated by minute pores; in aged specimens both cellular and 
reverse surfaces greatly thickened, all external ribs or sculpturing obliterated, and oral 
apertures more or less contracted; a row of foramina or chambers between the 
parallelly-disposed cells, or a small shallow cavity over the mouth in species with cells 
in quincunx.”” (Lonsdale.) 
Professor Phillips states, that the late Mr. Miller of Bristol, many years ago, 
1 Vide Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist., 2d series, vol. ii, p. 388. 
2 Geology of Russia, vol. i, Appendix A, p. 629. 
