131 



from Sark, so that, thoup;h rare it will probably be found 



throughout the English channel. 



ESCHARA. Ray. 



Generic Character : Polypidom niembrano-calcareoiis ; in- 

 flexible, brittle, expanding in the form of foliaceoiis porous 

 latneliae, variously folded and anastainosing, and consisting 

 of two layers of opposite cells: cells immersed, coalesent, 

 horizontal to the plane of axis; opening on both surfaces 

 in quincuncial pores protected with an operculum. Poly- 

 pes ascidian. 



STONY FOLIACEOUS CORALLINE. E. Foliacea. 

 Merabrano-calcareous, in thin waved plates like the bor- 

 ders of a lady's cap; plates frequently uniting; cells on 

 both sides of the folds. 



Stony Foliaceous Coralline, Ellis' Coral., p. 71, no. 3, 

 pi. 30, fig. a A B C. Borlase, p. 239, pi. 24, fig. 6. Eschara 

 reliformis, Raii, Synop., vol. 1, p. 31. Fleming's Brit. An., 

 p. 531. Millepora foliacea, Ellis and Solander's Zooph,, 

 p. 133. Turton's Lin., vol. 4, p. GliG. INIillepora fascialis, 

 Stewart's Elem,, vol. 2, p. 427- Eschara ioliacea, John- 

 ston's Brit. Zooph., p. 297, pi. 40. 



Hab. About two miles N. N. W. of the Eddystone, very 

 common. Off the Deadman point occasionally ; mid-channel, 

 common. Falmouth bay, 3Iiss Vigurs. 



This is the largest of all the Cornish, and probably of the 

 British corals. Dr. Johnston says it " attains a large size 

 being often three or four inches high and from twelve to 

 twenty in its greatest diameter." But this, even, is small 

 compared with many specimens procured on the Cornish 

 coast; the largest I ever saw was hooked up by a fisherman 

 off the Eddystone in the Autumn of 1843, it measured seven 

 feet four inches in circumference, and a foot and three quar- 

 ters in depth. It is, however, most commonly found in a much 

 humbler form. When living it is of a delicate flesh colour 

 which turns to a light brown in death. It is a very thin and 

 foliaceous species, resembling a sheet of paper waved into 

 various folds. The plaits or folds frequently unite and form 

 cavernous passages through the mass. The cells are small, 

 and arranged on both surfaces of the sheet ; on the older 

 portions tliey are recognized by the small round apertures 

 quincuncially arranged: the surfaces being made even bv 

 calcareous deposit. When living it is sligbtly elastic, but 

 when dead it is exceedingly brittle; breaking on the least 

 touch. Beside this foliaceous or plaited form, there is 

 another, not noticed by authors ; an eucrusting form which 

 resembles the Flustra bullata of Linnaeus. This is found 



