246 LETTER FROM DR. G, BENNETT. [Nov. 25, 
nearly equal the joints in length, being little more than discs, and 
are somewhat less in diameter. They are striate, and from them 
spring the branches. These branches are very numerous, diverging 
in all directions subdichotomously, and making a tolerably thick 
bush. They are much thinner than the main stem, and they become 
gradually more slender upwards, the calcareous joints at the same 
time becoming longer. Occasionally two of the ultimate branchlets 
come into contact and are soldered together. Each branchlet bears 
at its apex a cell of a shape between campanulate and infundibuli- 
form, the margin of which bears eight pairs of long, upright, spine- 
like spicula. ‘There are also sessile cells at the sides of the ultimate 
branchlets, one at each interjoint. All the cells are of a pale brown 
colour. The pellicle covering the branchlets contains long spicula, 
which are for the most part large and fusiform, whilst the smaller 
ones are cylindrical, and all are brown and minutely tuberculated. 
A single example of this Coral was obtained from a fisherman at 
Cama de Lobos, Madeira, and it is now in the British Museum. Its 
length, without the base, which is wanting, is 13 inches, and it is 
7 inches across. The lower part of the main stem has a diameter of 
three-tenths of an inch, and its calcareous joints are about three- 
eighths of an inch in length. The branches are broken away from 
this part of the stem; but there are remains to show that some of 
the interjoints bore four branches, others only one. A cell, with its 
marginal spines, measures the fifth of an inch. 
This coral seems to be nearly related to Mopsea dichotoma; but 
M. Milne-Edwards gives the Indian Ocean (with a mark of doubt) 
as the habitat of that species. Strange to say, that writer, in his 
work on Corals (‘ Histoire Naturelle des Coralliaires,’ forming one 
of the ‘ Nouvelles Suites 4 Buffon’), is altogether silent as to the cells 
of Mopsea. Lamouroux says that the polypi (? cells) of M. dicho- 
toma are mammiform on the higher, tuberculous on the middle, and 
superficial on the lower branches. This would ill accord with the 
Madeiran specimen. Little agreement can be made out between that 
specimen and the figures of Esper, “ Pflanzenthiere,” Isis, pl. 5, 
figs. 1-5. 
November 25, 1862. 
E. W. H. Holdsworth, Esq., F.Z.S., in the Chair. 
The following extracts were read from a letter addressed to the 
Secretary by Dr. G. Bennett, F.Z.S., dated Sydney. 
“ For the last six months I have been making every effort to pro- 
cure specimens of the Didunculus, alive or dead. It has been re- 
ported (which I cannot credit) that they are nearly extinct ; but if, 
as has been mentioned, the Samoan Islanders keep them as pets, as 
