Dr. J. E. Stocks on the Botany of Scinde. 419 



more complex structure than had at first been suspected. The 

 body which had been projected from the capsule, and which had 

 appeared in the recent zoophyte a simple filament with a spiral 

 groove, was now seen to be composed of a delicate transparent 

 tube marked with circular or spiral striae, and having within it 

 a spiral filament which with rather distant coils wound through 

 its entire length (fig. 7) . 



Both sets of bodies now described are slowly but effectually 

 dissolved by nitric acid without effervescence, appearing to be 

 neither siliceous nor calcareous, but of a truly animal composition. 

 That they are analogous to the lancet-bearing capsules discovered 

 by Corda mHydra,dind whose existence I have myself been enabled 

 to verify, there can I think be no doubt. Bodies strictly ana- 

 logous, though differing somewhat in detail, I have detected in 

 three other genera of Helianthoid Zoophytes, namely Actinioj 

 Anthea and Lucernaria, while Ehrenberg, Wagner, Erdl, Qua- 

 trefages, Bailey and others have described similar organs in this 

 and other families of Invertebrata. 



In attempting to assign a use to the bodies in question some 

 difficulty is encountered ; perhaps the most tenable opinion is 

 that generally held, namely, that they are in some way connected 

 with the predaceous habits of the animal, and are most likely 

 gifted with the power of inflicting envenomed wounds on the 

 creatures which constitute its prey. 



Corynactis viridis is a charming little animal, and by no means 

 rare in the locality where I discovered it ; the brilliancy of its 

 colours and the great elegance of its tentacular crown when fully 

 expanded render it eminently attractive ; hundreds may often be 

 seen in a single pool, and few sights will be retained with greater 

 pleasure by the naturalist than that presented by these little zoo- 

 phytes as they spread abroad their green and rosy crowns among 

 the many-tinted sea-weeds and plumy corals, cotenants of their 

 rocky vases. 



LII. — Notes on the Botany of Scinde. By J, E. Stocks, M.D., 

 Assistant-Surgeon Bombay Fusileers. Extract from a Letter 

 to Arthur Henfrey, F.L.S. &c. 



Sukkur, Upper Scinde, March 14th, I84G. 

 The country about Kurrachee is very desolate, the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of the sea low and flat, the sandy soil bound together by 

 the Ipomcsa Pes Capice, and on the muddy shores of the creek grow 

 Rhizophora candelaria and Salicornia indica. The Rhizophora grows 

 within water-mark, is like a tree in appearance and habit, but not 

 above two feet high, and a bank of it looks like a miniature forest. 

 The soil beyojid the immediate limits of the beach is bare, and the 



