March 30 1882} 
tion, large quantities of a cead coral skeleton, apparently 
allied to Corallium, which was blackened by that sub- 
stance. It is in the hope of eliciting some definite in- 
formation from the readers of NATURE concerning the 
so-called Japanese Corallium that I send the present 
notes. Ata late meeting of the Zoological Society, Mr. 
G, O. Ridley, of the British Museum, read a paper on the 
Coraliidz, and reviewed the species known, and exhibited 
specimens of the form said to come from Japan. I o0- 
tained specimens of this corallium from Mr. Cutter, the 
London dealer, from whom I first learned that a precious 
coral was called Japanese. He told me that he had seen 
a large quaniity in the market in London, but that it 
would not fetch any price, whereas Messrs. Greck state 
that Japanese coral sold for an extremely high price in 
Italy. Messrs. Phillips, of Cockspur Street, who also 
exhibited a fine series of specimens of precious coral at 
one of my lectures, showed amongst them a carvec jewel 
cut out. of Japanese coral, which is remarkable as being 
of mixed colour, marbled white and red, and also, as 
they informed me, for its far greater hardness than 
ordinary precious coral, 
Now although this coral, which is of a named species, 
is evidently universally regarded in the trade as Japanese, 
all evidence available seems to prove that no precious 
coral occurs in Japan. The Cha/lenger did not meet with 
any ; and though [ inquired, I heard of none as dredged 
there. Moreover, in numerous Japanese illustrated works 
on the races of men, certain foreigners of some kind are 
represented as bearing in their hands precious coral as 
tribu‘e, or as the staple produce of their country, thus 
showing apparently that the coral is regarded as some- 
thing rare from abroad in Japan. Perhaps, some of the 
correspondents of NATURE in Japan can state whether any 
corallium occurs in Japanese waters. H. N. MOSELEY 
Extract from the letter of Messrs. Greck and Co. :— 
“Coral fisheries on the coasts of I:aly and Sicily begin 
about the middle of February, and continue till the m‘ddle 
of October. The value of the coral fished up varies im- 
mensely according to its colour and size; the pale pink 
is the most prized, especially if it be of a uniform colour 
throughout, without stains. Off Torre del Greco, near 
Naples, a large quantity of coral is found every year; 
from 400 to 600 boats are sent out in search of it, each 
boat being of from six to ten tons’ burden, witha crew of at 
least twelve men, and costing from 5o00/. to 600/. a boat. 
Nearly all the inhabitants of Torre del Greco are em- 
ployed by this industry, either as fishermen or in the 
manufacture of the coral brought to shore. The valuable 
pink coral is found chiefly off the coast of Sicily: in the 
year 1873 a bed was discovered in the Straits of Messina, 
in which the coral, though found only in small quantities 
and of a small size, was of immense value, owing to its 
beautiful pink, of a uniform colour, and without any of 
those stains which detract so much from its worth. The 
coral found in this place is sent chiefly to London and 
Birmingham ; it is usually manufactured in the shape of 
‘lentils,’ and in this form is largely used for rings, either 
set singly in half-hoops or surrounded by precious stones 
and pearis. Its value varies from 8o/. to upwards of 200/. 
per ounce. 
“ Unfortunately the supply of coral in this bed seems to 
have run short, and for the last few years coral-merchants 
have not found it worth their while to send boats in search 
of it. The last attempt was made last year by the firms 
of Criscuolo and Greck and Co, who despatched two 
boats with a crew of thirty selected men, but the find was 
so small as barely to pay the exrenses of the outfit. 
“This year out of 800 boats employed in the coral-fishery 
off the coast of Sicily, not one has been sent to the bed in 
‘cov ttaits of Messina. In 1875 a local bed was dis- 
sci about twenty miles off the coast of Sciacca in 
bots. hich was invaded for the next two years by 700 
“his number of boats all crowded together in 
NATURE 
511 
one spot, caused great confusion, and the Italian Govern- 
ment despatched a man of war to keep order among the 
fishermen. Another similar bed was discovered in 1878, 
about ten miles further from the coast, and in 1880 yet 
another still further, to which 600 boats were sent, and 
we learn from the reports of the Custom House at Sciacca 
that in a few months about 8000 tons were fished, and 
although the quality of the coral is very inferior, being 
of a1eddish colour and often quite black, its value is com- 
puted at several millions of pounds. The coral found off 
the coast of Sciacca does not grow as at other places 
attached to rocks, but is found clinging to any small 
object it can lay hold of, such as a shell, or a fragment of 
coral. It is supposed that its dark red or black colour is 
caused by the muddiness of the water in which it lives, 
although the depth of the sea at such spots is from 300 to 
450 feet. This coral is not much esteemed in the English 
market, but is prepared in large quantities for the Indian 
market at Calcutta, by being exposed for months to the 
heat of the sun, and by being kept moist, when in time 
the black colour gradually disappears. 
“A few years ago a large quantity of Japanese coral 
found its way into the market at Naples, and fetched as 
much as I50/. the kilo. in raw br nches, in spite of its 
being a bad colour and somewhat cloudy. This high 
price was given on account of its extraordinary size. It 
is the largest real coral ever known. Nothing has been 
heard of it since, excepting that the fishery was prohibited 
in Japan.” 
MAXIM’S SELF-ACTING FIRE- 
EXTINGUISHERS} 
P[ Owever certain it is that fires in theatres will 
never te completely suppressed, we may still hope 
by energetic measures and systematic arrangements to 
lessen both their number and their danger, and it is 
scarcely probable that we shall ever again have to record 
such a catastrophe as that of the theatre at Nice or the 
Ring Theatre at Vienna. The preventive measures to be 
taken against a dangerous fire which may break forth at 
any moment are twofold—moral and material. The 
moral measures unfortunately do not admit of immediate 
or easy application. The public must be educated, and, 
as it were, familiarised with the danger, by being shown 
the precautions taken, the most direct escape available in 
case of fire, so as to avoid or rather diminish the terrible 
results due to the crush of a mass of frantic people pre- 
cipitating themselves at the same moment into the 
outlets during the frightful struggle for life which accom- 
panies the slightest panic. In short, the instinct] of self- 
preservation mu t be so methodised as to be rendered 
most efficacious. Lamps, notices to indicate the way out, 
widening the passages and corridors, increasing the 
number of outlets and staircases, &c., are all useful 
measures which are now being actively carried out. 
In addition to these measures, whose special object is 
to lessen the number of victims, when it is impossible to 
stay the progress of the fire, there are others directed 
against the fire itself, by checking its advance, or 
strangling it, as it were, in its very birth. The stage is 
undoubtedly the most dangerous point, from the very 
nature of the materials composing it. With the dec ra- 
tions constantly exposed to blazing jets, it seems miracu- 
lous that accidents are not more frequent, 4nd it is there- 
fore upon the stage principally that the measures for fire- 
extinction are to be brought to bear ; it is also important 
that they act instantly; for it is always more easy to 
obtain the mastery over a fire towards its commencement, 
before it has had time to develop into an incurable evil. 
The remedy, moreover, will often come too late, if its 
application depends on those who are on the stage, be- 
cause they themselves, frequently under the influence of 
® From Za Nature. 
