482 ME. C. W. PEACH ON BRITISH POLTZOA. 



and date ; it occurred in sand amongst many fragments of Eschar a 

 of various kinds. Up to December last it liad quite escaped my 

 memory, when it turned up again, and was instantly recognized. 

 So far, it is the only specimen of it I have seen, nor can I find 

 any thing like it noticed in any work I have access to, or gain any 

 information about it from other naturalists. I am, however, most 

 anxious to learn all I can aboub it. I have provisionally named 

 it ; it is evidently a piece of an Eschara. It is flattened on the 

 sides, with cells on both sides. In section the cells may be seen 

 at the ends in two rows in the centre, separated by a thin division, 

 the side walls of the cells resting on the centre of the body of 

 each opposing cell ; these cells are surrounded by a border of 

 striped coral matter, as in a section of EscJiara Skenei, &e. The 

 cells are arranged in an irregular quincuncial manner, running 

 obliquely all round the stem. The mouth of the ceil is slightly 

 raised, and slopes gently downwards ; the border thick, with a 

 slit-like opening in front extending a short way down the cell ; 

 it is also surrounded by buttress-like projections, and in the spaces 

 between them are perforations, apparently open ; the whole of the 

 cells are thus surrounded, giving the specimen a stellate appear- 

 ance, and thus the specific name (see sketch modified by Mr. 

 Busk from specimen, fig. 5, forwarded him). It has a fresh 

 appearance, like that of the other well-known Eschara found with 

 it, a little abraded, but has not a semifossii look*. 



Discopora meandrina, Peach, n. sp. (PI. XXIII. figs. 6-8). — This 

 is also from the Out Haaf, Shetland, dredged by Dr. Gwyn Jefi'reys 

 in 1864. It is generally attached to Eschara, especially E. cervi- 

 cornis, rarely on stones or shells, never in an adnate manner ; for 

 when first fixed it forms a thin plane platform ; this is thickened 

 and extended as the polypidom increases, and its edge is turned 

 upwards or downwards, spreading and accommodating itself to the 

 rounded stem and all the sinuosities of its support, even to bend- 

 ing round so as almost to conceal it, leaving, however, a space 

 between it and its support (see fig. 6, dm). The upper face is 

 waved and undulating, and reminds me of a contoured map, 

 showing the hills and valleys. It is traversed by ridges of cells, 

 surrounding in a meandering way depressed smooth spaces like 

 little fields ; these ridges and cells and spaces give a meandering 

 look to the whole, like the brain-coral. These little fields are 

 * [This is probably a variety of one of the different species confounded with 

 the name E. cervicornis. — G. B.] 



