OCULINA. 221 



see whether there were any remains of those objects that 

 had long occupied the attention of the former scientific re- 

 sident, I saw, with surprise and delight, on the mantel-piece 

 a very respectable specimen of my old Norwegian acquaint- 

 ance, Oculina prolifera. I made particular inquiry as to 

 when and where obtained, and Mr. M'Millaii told me that, 

 when his brother occupied a large farm in the island of 

 Barra, he had been in the habit of collecting rare shells for 

 a relative of theirs, a lady of rank in England ; that this 

 had been procured at that time, but not being a shell, it 

 had not been forwarded to her. I took good care to give 

 no hint by my tongue how I would like it to be disposed 

 of, and I hope my eye did not proclaim its covetousness. 

 Be that as it may, it was sent to me next day, and I retain 

 it on account of its great rarity, and as a memorial of a re- 

 markably pleasant visit to Appin. It is a good stout coral, 

 fitted to brave the storms of the north-west Hebrides. I 

 may mention that, though I did not become possessor of 

 the Norwegian specimen, I was made welcome to the shells 

 white mussels as they were called that were ensconced 

 amongst its branches. There were a few specimens of 

 Terebratula caput-serpentis, then regarded as rare, and one 

 specimen of the very rare Terebratula cranium. 



