26 DR. J. E. GRAY ON TWO NEW CORALS. [Jail. 9, 



These two cones are only preserved on the inner side of the 

 branches, where they have been protected from erosion, during the 

 carriage of the coral from Japan, by the branches opposite to them. 

 It might be said that they are not naturally found in any other part ; 

 but there are some remains of them, enough to show their exist- 

 ence, in various other parts of the specimen. 



If they had not fortunately been preserved in some part of the 

 coral, one might have been led to describe the coral as furnished with 

 close rings of cells with open circular mouth : but this form of the 

 mouth ought to have attracted one's attention ; the mouth of the 

 cells of the Barked Corals is always closed by the contracted part of 

 the polype. But one might have believed that in this specimen the 

 contracted portion had been worn away by erosion. The species may 

 be called Calyptrophorajaponica. (Fig. 1.) 



Japan has produced some curious marine productions, as, for ex- 

 ample, the " Glass Plant," better called the " Glass Rope " {Hyalo- 

 nema). This Coral was for several years considered a great rarity ; 

 but it must be common on the Japanese coast, for hardly a vessel 

 comes from that country without bringing specimens of it. And 

 lately we have been rather surprised at hearing that the same genus 

 is found nearer home, on the coast of Portugal. 



It has been lately shown that Hyalonema belongs to the Actinoid 

 Polypes, near to Zoanthus and, especially, Corticaria. I have veri- 

 fied this by an examination of the animal after soaking it in water ; 

 and it is surprising that the number of folds round the mouth of 

 the cell had not led one to believe it before. This is a group of 

 animals in which anything like a central axis has not been observed 

 before ; but I believe that the siliceous glass-like fibres really belong 

 to the animal that covers them. The two are always found in con- 

 nexion, both in Japan and in Portugal ; so that I can only regard 

 the theory of Mr. Bowerbank and some of the German naturalists, 

 that the siliceous fibres belong to the sponge in which the Coral is 

 sometimes imbedded, and that the animal is only parasitic upon 

 them, as not consistent with our knowledge. 



The second Coral I discovered among a number of Zoophytes from 

 the Cape of Good Hope, which Mrs. Alfred Gatty brought to the 

 British Museum for my inspection ; they had been sent to her by 

 Dr. Rubidge. 



This collection contained several very interesting kinds of Sponges 

 and smaller Zoophytes along with two specimens of the Coral under 

 consideration, and a specimen which seems to be allied to it, from 

 which the bark had been washed. 



This Cape Coral is nearly allied to the Paragorgia of M. Milne- 

 Edwards ; but the axis is much more solid and regular, having none 

 of the friability or porous sponginess of the axis of that Coral. This 

 is much more slender, which is consistent with the greater hardness 

 and uniformity of texture of the axis. 



I have no doubt there are several species of these Corals to be de- 

 scribed. 



The one under consideration mav be named 



