( 270 ) 



metres in the middle of the strait that separates the E. end of the 

 island of Timor from the small island Lette or in other words on 

 the Sonthern boundary of the Banda Sea. 



The axis of this coral is covered with very little or hardl}' any 

 crust, is apparently as hard as the best Italian coral and is of a good 

 colour, although a little darker than that \\ hich is regarded by the 

 jewellers as the best quality. 



The discovery of this specimen suggests that the dark skinned 

 "Knrombo" fisherman that supplied the ancient Japanese jewellers 

 with their precious coral, lived some where within the region of 

 Timor. It is of course improbable that they were able to tish in 

 such a great depth as 1224 metres, but as the species of CoraUliuii 

 range in depth from 10 fathoms to several hnndred fathoms, it is 

 quite possible that they had knowledge of shallow waters off their 

 coast where the coral grew abundantly. 



It is not for me to snggest that there is a i)rospect of a valuable 

 coral fishery in the Banda seas; but now that it is known that 

 living precious coral tloes occur in deep water in this region of 

 the world it would not be a matter of surprise to scientific men if 

 it were subsequently found at depths sufficiently shallow to be 

 obtained by ordinary fishing boats. 



The specimen obtained by the Siboga does not agree exactly with 

 any known Coralliidae in those characters which are used by sys- 

 tematists for the separation of species and it is necessary to find 

 a new name for it, and I should like Avith Her royal permission to 

 name it Corallium reginae in honour of Her Majesty the Queen of 

 Holland whose interest in Zoological Science in general and in the 

 researches of H. M. Siboga in particular has been manifested on 

 more than one occasion. 



The specimen agrees with other species of the genus Corallium 

 in the absence of the curious "opera glass" shaped spicules and the 

 presence of spicules of the octoradiate type only in the general 

 coenenchym. 



It differs from CoiudUinn and agrees with many species referred 

 to the genus PleurocoraUlurii in having the branches arranged 

 principally in one plane and the zooids scattered irregularly on 

 one face or surface of this })laiie. 



The autozooids are indicated by well-defined verrucae projecting 

 about 1—5 m.m. from the general surface of the coenenchym. These 

 verrucae are large as com])arcd with other species being about 1 — 4 

 m.jn. in diameter. The coenenchym is thin, and the axis hard and 



