42 MR. H. N. MOSELEY ON A NEW CORAL. [Feb. 3, 



Extreme height of the corallum 35 millims. ; extreme length of the 

 cahcle 35 miUims. ; extreme breadth of the cahcle 26 miUims. 



The single specimen on which the species is founded was purchased 

 from a dealer, Mr. Cutter ; and its locality is unknown. It will be 

 placed in the British Museum. Its nearest ally is BesmophyUum 

 cailleti, Duch. & Mich., which was obtained during the United- 

 States deep-sea dredging operations from 100 fathoms off Barbadoes, 

 and also off Double-Headed Shot Keys from 615 fathoms^ From its 

 appearance the species might be supposed to come from rather deep 

 water ; but its having found its way into the hands of a dealer is 

 against this hypothesis. 



From JD. cailleti the present species differs markedly in its colour, 



Fig. 1. 



Desmophi/llum lamprotichum, of the natural size. 



Fig. 1. View looking directly into the mouth of the calicle. 

 Fig. 2. The corallum viewed from the side. 



its larger size, and in its rapidly expanding form, also in the very 

 smooth and glistening appearance of its epitheca. The fact that the 

 entire outer surface of the coral is covered with this shining epitheca 

 would seem to show that this entire surface of the corallum re- 

 mained covered with living tissue during the whole growth of the 

 animal. 



It will probably be necessary to form a special genus for those 

 corals at present included in the genus Desmophyllum which are 

 straight and delicate in structure, have a shining epitheca, and never 

 form roots, like Desmophyllum crista-galli. 



' See II. Cat. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard, " Deep-Sea Corals," by L. F. de 

 Pourtales (Cambridge, Mass. 1871), p. 16. 



