296 HISTORY OP BRITISH ZOOPHYTES. 



1. Gemellaria loriculata, Doody. (Plate XVI. fig. 58.) 



Hab. A few fathoms beyond low-water mark. 



" This coralliue, which grows in very large tufts and 

 buncheSj consists of many long, shining, soft, and slippery 

 branches. These are composed of joints of cells placed in 

 pairs back to back. The opening of each is on a slant near 

 the top, and looks the contrary way to the other; so that 

 the pair together resembles a coat of mail or a pair of stays, 

 and the entrances of the cells look like the places for the 

 arms to come out at.^' [Ellis.) 



Dr. Johnston, in describing it in his second edition, says, 

 "Common, but Mr. Landsborough has never found the 

 smallest scrap of it on our western coast." This statement 

 still holds true as to our western, but not our south-western 

 coasts. In a very pleasant excursion to Kirkcudbright- 

 shire, some time ago, I visited, along with the Rev. Dr. 

 Paterson, of Glasgow, the Ilcv. Mr. Smith, of Borgue, and 

 the Rev. Mr. McMillan, of Kirkcudbright, the lighthouse 

 on the island called the Little Ross, and no sooner had I 

 landed from the boat than I saw floating in the little creek 

 great abundance of a coralline, which I was sure I had not 

 met with on our Ayrshire coast. I collected a great quan- 

 tity of it, and I was glad to find that it was Gemellaria 



