llet^pova cellnlbsa Lamarck. 639 



69 



and sinuous margins. It is pure white, calcareous and beau- 

 tifully reticulated; the meshes about a line in length, oval, 

 subequal, regular, and divided by celluliferous spaces rather 

 wider than their own shortest diameter; the cells immersed, 

 quincuncial, leaning, with the apertures looking upwards, a 

 little prominent, round with a small tooth on the distal edge: 

 they open only on the superior or inner aspect; for the under 

 surface of the polypidom is imperforate and almost smooth. 

 Of the polype architects very little is known ; but they are 

 said to be " very vivacious," and so industrious in their voca- 

 tion, that their building rises with a rapidity which has ex- 

 torted an expression of wonder from several observers. 



To Mr. Bean of Scarborough I again tender my thanks, 

 for the liberality and kindness which induced him to entrust 

 his valuable specimen of this our prettiest zoophyte to my 

 examination. It may be regarded as a new addition to our 

 native list; for although, in the History of Zoophytes by Ellis 

 and Solander, it is said that " this elegant litde coral is 

 found now and then on our coast," and we find it introduced 

 into the works of Turton and Stewart, yet the evidence 

 appeared so slight and unsatisfactory that the Rev. Dr. 

 Fleming has rejected it; influenced, perhaps, by the fact that 

 the latter naturalists, at least, had confounded it with the 

 Retepora reticulata, figured in Borlase's History of Cornwall 

 Mr. Bean's detection of it in very deep water at Scarborough, 

 where it is very rare, renders its claim to denizenship indis- 

 putable ; and I heartily congratulate him on his good fortune ; 

 for it is just one of those little discoveries over which the 

 simple naturalist rejoices with feelings which amply repay 

 him for the toil of much patient research. 



Berwick upon Tweed, Oct. 10. 1834. 



