220 HISTORY or BRITISH ZOOPHYTES. 



» 



II. OCELLINA. 

 Genus XXIV. OCULHSTA. 



1. OCULINA PROLIFERA. 



Hab. Between the islands of Eum and Egg, Dr. Fle- 

 ming; Shetland, Mr. G. C. Atkinson. 



About ten years ago we sent to Dr. Johnston a specimen 

 of coral from Norway, which he returned, named Oculina 

 prolifera, saying that he was glad tliat it was found in Nor- 

 way, as it gave hopes that it might be found in Orkney or 

 Shetland. Soon after this I had the pleasure of hearing 

 that a noble specimen of it, weighing six pounds, had 

 been dredged in the Hebrides, and was in the possession of 

 my much-valued friend Professor John Fleming. It occu- 

 pies an honourable niche in his cabinet. It is worth trea- 

 suring up and rejoicing over, and he showed it to me with 

 no small gratification. By that time, however, I had a spe- 

 cimen of my own, though I Avas constrained to acknowledge 

 that it was not quite equal to his in magnitude. When, in 

 the summer of 1850, 1 was on a visit at Mr. Cowan^s, Airds 

 House, Appin, I called on Mr. MOIillau, at Ardtur, for- 

 merly the residence of the late Captain Carmichael, well 

 known as a distinguished naturalist, and, looking round to 



