1862.] MR. HOLDSWORTH ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF CORALS. 199 



or rather adhesion to another individual of its own species, may be 

 observed in Milne-Edwards's figure of the type-specimen of Rhizo- 

 trochus*. The species now under consideration should, I think, be 

 placed in the genus Flabellum, although differing in some of its cha- 

 racters from most of the typical forms ; and as it is the largest mem- 

 ber of the genus, I propose to call it nobile. 



The precise habitat of this coral is unknown. It was brought to 

 tliis country by the late Sir Everard Home ; and as that gentleman's 

 collections were principally made in the neighbourhood of Australia 

 and New Zealand, these corals were probably obtained from the same 

 part of the world. 



The specimens are now in the Museum of the Royal College of 

 Surgeons of England. 



5. On the Occurrence of Caryophyllia clavus on the 

 Coasts of Britain, with some Remarks on the Circum- 

 stances affecting the Distribution of Corals around 

 the British Islands. By E. W, H. Holdsworth, F.L.S., 

 FZ.S., etc. 



By the kindness of the Rev. Thomas Hincks of Leeds, I have re- 

 cently been enabled to examine some specimens of coral which had 

 been forwarded to him from Shetland, and from Loch Fyne on the east 

 coast of Scotland. They prove to be new to Britain, and are iden- 

 tical with the Caryophyllia clavus of the Mediterranean, first described 

 as a fossil by Scacchi in 1833, and figured and described from recent 

 specimens under the name of Cyathina turhinata by Philippi in his 

 'Catalogue of Sicilian Mollusca,' published in 1836. Several ex- 

 amples of this coral have been obtained from deep water in the above- 

 mentioned localities ; and an examination of characteristic specimens 

 of different ages has enabled me also to identify with this species two 

 small and much-worn corals which, in June 1857, were dredged 

 from a depth of 60 fathoms, about forty miles west of Scilly, by 

 Mr. S. P. Woodward of the British Museum, and kindly placed in 

 my hands a short time ago by that gentleman. 



This species of Caryophyllia may be readily distinguished from its 

 near ally, our common C. smithii, by its conical form and finely 

 pointed base, as well as by the thinness of its walls and lamellae. 

 The general character of the polype, as described by Philippif , agrees 

 with that of C. smithii ; the integuments, however, are said to be 

 excessively delicate and transparent, so that the borders of the 

 lamellae can be seen through them. The body is of an orange-colour, 

 and the capitate tentacles whitish with metallic-green reflections. 

 The coral is frequently attached to a tube of Ditrwpa, or the shell of 

 some deep-water univalve, or, in some cases, is entirely free. In 



* Milne-Edwards et J. Ilaime, Ann. des Sc. Nat. y ser. t. ix. p. 282, pi. 8. f. 16, 

 1848. 

 t Philippi, Arch, fur Naturgesch. t. i. p. 42, 1842. 



