ESCHARIDiE : ESCHARA. 351 



larly^ and forming sinoiis cavities ; cells oval or rhomioidal, 

 the aperture level with the surface or sunk, ovate, toith a 

 straight Up. Dillenius. 



Plate LXVII. 



Eschara retifomiis, Rail Syn. 1, 31. Flem. Brit. Anim. 531 — Stony foliaceous Coral- 

 line, Ellis Corall. 71, no. 3, pi. 30, fig. a,A,B, C. Bod. Cornw. 239, pi. 24, fig, 

 6 — Eschara fascialis. Pall. Elench. 44. — Millepora fascialis, Lin. Syst. 1283. 

 Oliv. Zool. Adriat. 223. Stew. Elem. ii. 427.— Millepora foliacea, Ellis and Soland. 

 Zooph. 133. — Cellepora lamellosa, Esper Cellep. p. 146, tab. 6. fig. 1-5. — Eschara 

 foliacea, Lam. An. s. Vert, ii, 174 : 2de edit. ii. 266. Blainv. Actinol. 428, pi. 75, 

 fig. 3. Milne-Edwards in Ann. des Sc. Nat. vi. 36, pi. 3, fig. 1. Mem. 34, pi. 3, 

 fig. 1. Coiwh Zooph. Corn. 60 : Com. Faun. iii. 131. 



Hah. On various parts of the English coast in deep water. 

 " Conchis testisve adnascitur et circa Cockbush in Sussexia ssepe re- 

 peritur," Dillenius. Isle of Wight, Ellis. Cornwall, Borlase. 

 Devonshire, Dr, Coldstream. 



This curious polypidom attains a large size, being often three or 

 four inches high, and from twelve to twenty in its greatest diameter. 

 Mr. Couch has seen a specimen which "measured seven feet four 

 inches in circumference, and a foot and three quarters in depth." It 

 may be described as a broad membrane twisted into winding folds, 

 leaving large sinuosities and cavernous interstices : it is very light 

 and floats in water, crisp when dry, but when living "slightly 

 elastic," membrano-calcareous, cellular, of a yellowish-brown colour, 

 roughish, and punctured with the numerous cells which open on both 

 sides. The membrane is less than a line in thickness, and consists 

 of two layers of cells separated behind from one another by a thin 

 plate down the middle. The cells open obliquely by contracted 

 roundish apertures disposed in a quincunx order on the surface, and 

 which, more especially when recently formed, are often covered by a 

 small operculum. They are liable to some changes of form from 

 age, but are normally of an oval or rhomboidal figixre with a round 

 or semi- oval aperture that does not project above the surface. The 

 wall of the cells is wrinkled but not porous. 



" Besides this foliaceous or plaited form, there is another, not 

 noticed by authors ; an encrusting form which resembles the Flustra 

 hullata of Linnceus. This is found encrusting stones and forming its 

 cells like a Flustra, in large circumscribed patches. The first ap- 

 pearance of its rising into a lamellated form, is the production of 

 detached ridges and papillary eminences, as these become more ele- 

 vated they assume the form described above." Couch. 



