Miscellaneous. 511 



broken and half-decayed oyster and scallop-shells, &c. It usually ex- 

 ists in groups or families, varying from three to four to a great many. 

 The long delicate stem, which is horny-looking and highly elastic 

 when dry, varies from the thickness of a knitting-wire to that of a 

 crow-quill, and from its mineralized and root-like attachment, tapers 

 gradually and gracefully to the beautiful acicular point, attaining not 

 unfrequently a length of two or three feet, and having its entire sur- 

 face covered with a calcareous coat of a cream-yellow colour, deli- 

 cately annulated, so as much to resemble the fine string of wooden 

 beads worn as a necklace by the poorer natives of Bengal, but with 

 this difference, — that in the coralline the beads form a connected or 

 rather continuous chain, independently of the delicate elastic centre 

 upon which the mineral structure is deposited. I am informed that 

 in one or two instances, when these corallines were procured, they 

 were enveloped throughout with a mucilaginous or jelly-like substance, 

 which when they become dry is exsiccated and shriveled to such a 

 degree as to be scarcely if at all traceable. You will be able to say 

 whether you consider it likely that there exists, in the recent and living 

 state of the zoophyte, such an external and soft organization." 



This jelly-like substance was doubtless the polypes. — From the 

 Proceedings of the Zoological Society for Nov. 27, 1849. 



YELLOW RAIN. DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



The Willows, Swansea, May 21st, 1850. 

 Gentlemen, — If the following extract from my note-book is worthy 

 of insertion, as likely to interest your readers, or to add one more fact 

 towards the elucidation of the still vexed question of the distribution 

 of plants, it is at your service. 



" 1850, April 17- Yellow rain fell at the Mumbles at 11 a.m. ; 

 leaving spots like ochre. Wind S.W. Weather fine. No clouds. 

 Greenhouse roofs, evergreens, and parties who were out of doors, 

 sprinkled over with spots of the above colour, which are found in my 

 garden here (5 miles N. of the Mumbles), at Penclawd (7 miles N.W.), 

 and at many intermediate places. 



" May 1 1 . Notwithstanding the marked changes in the weather, 

 including very heavy rain, many spots still remain, some not much 

 changed in colour. They are perceptible to the finger, and with a 

 lens show a globular structure : the :|-inch shows oval, boat-shaped 

 and round echinulated substances. 



*'May 12. Letter from one of our most acute observers, Mr. 

 Berkeley, to whom I had sent specimens : — 



"The yellow spots consist principally of pollen-grains, probably 



those of some Salix I believe that there are three bands as 



seen from above, and a single one when the grains are seen laterally, 



which agrees with Salix I find also traces of fungi among 



the grains, but cannot tell exactly what species. 



"May 21. Most of the spots at the Mumbles faded, but some 

 still yellow." Matthew Moggrtdge. 



