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Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
volume V (1877-1881)
Buel, Ira M.
The corals of Delafield, pp. 185-193
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Page 186
186 lVisconsin Academy oj Sciences, Arts, and Letters. task. The Polyp or Bryozoan cells seldom exceed a hundredth of an inch, and in some species are less than a two hundred and fiftieth of an inch in diameter. The cell walls and interspaces are often dotted with pits or pores, the tdbuli of some authorities, or studded with granules, whose dimensions are from one-half to. one-tenth of the diameter of the cells. In the illustrated draw. ings these surface maTkings are enlarged from twenty to fifty diameters. The term corals, as applied to these forms, does not necessarily imply that they belong to the radiate sub-kingdom. We find, in. deed, that Professor Dana includes under this general term calc reous or honey structures formed not only by Polyps and Hydroih (Radiates), but by Bryozoans (Mollusca), and also by certa low vegetable forms. In the classifications that have been made, the widest diversi exists; no two authorities seem to agree, and the same species relegated even to different sub-kingdoms by leading naturalisi Of the thirteen genera recognized in this collection, Profess Whitfield has placed Cloeters, ilontlculipora, Stellipora, Alvo lites and Del~ayia under Corals; and Trematopora, FistuliPor Palkcschaara, Stictopora, f'enestella, Retopora, Alecto and Au, pora under Bryozoans. S. A. Miller, of Cincinnati, classes ti first group as Radiates of the Favosite group, Fisthlipora as Millepore, J ulopora as an Alcyanoid coral, and the remaind Bryozoans. Professor Dana differs from others in considering ti Cllteles and related genera ilydroids instead of Polyp cora. while Dr. Riominger, of Michigan, throws them out of the Radia sub-kingdom altogether, and places the whole list under Bry zoans. The close relationship and gradation of forms observe in our specimens indicate that they should not be separated in as widely differing divisions as has heretofore been done. Before considering this matter further, we will notice the re] tionships that exist between some of these forms. Beginnil with those genera that are considered by all authorities as belon ing to the Bryozoan order of Mollusks, we first notice the ti representatives of the genus Stictopora, that are found in this ec lection. (Fig. 1 represents S. elegantula, and Fig. 2 S. fragili!
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