THE DEVONSHIRE CUP-CORAL. 315 



say, if one alone of the disks be fed, the rest will presently- 

 become equally distended, as if partaking of a common 

 life. On breaking one of these double skeletons, however, 

 no communication is found to exist between the cavities ; 

 and hence we must conclude that such instances are due to 

 the accidental fixation of two or more gemmules in close 

 proximity to each other, and the coalescence of the cal- 

 careous walls in process of growth. 



The name Caryophyllia is formed of tcapvov, a nut, and 

 <f>vWov, a leaf, — a.d. " a nut of leaves" == plates. The 

 specific name is in honour of Thomas Smith, who appears 

 to have first observed it on the south coast of Devon. 



A curious little Barnacle (Pyrgoma Anglicum) is para- 

 sitic on this species, affixing itself to the outer edge of the 

 plates ; two are sometimes found on the same coral. 



The coralhim is very hard. An hour's rubbing of one 

 on a slab of marble rough from the saw, with a view to a 

 longitudinal section, produced little effect on the coral, 

 though it effectually polished the marble. 



The following list of habitats show that the species is 

 widely scattered around our coasts. 



Shetland (deep-water), Fleming: Moray Firth (d. w.), 

 W. G. : Guernsey (low- water), T. D. H. : Torquay (1. w. 

 abundant, d. w. rare), P. H. G. : Dartmouth (1. w.), 

 K W. H. H. : Cornwall (1. w. abundant), R. Q. C. : 

 Ilfracombe (1. w. abundant), P. H. G. : Oban, J. A.: Larne 

 (d. w.), G. D. (b.) .• Lambay, R. Ball: Dalkey Sound (1. w.) 

 R. B. : Wexford Bay, W. M 1 Calla : Nymph Bank (d. w.), 

 W. T. : Youghal, R. B. : Bantry Bay (1. w. common), 

 E.P. W.: Connemara, W. M'C: Bundoran, R. B.: Lough 

 Swilly (d. w.), G. D. (b.) : Lough Foyle (d. w.) G. D. (b.) 



Corynactis. 

 Smithii. 

 [cyathus]. 



