198 Miscellanea. 
times required for shells, I may state that the second specimen of 
this Cowry, sent home by Mr, Gunn toa London collector, was 
offered by him to Miss Saul for £30, and eventually realized that 
price. 
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF GORGONIA FROM AUSTRALIA. 
By J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S. 
[Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 13th November, 1849.] 
PrRIMNOA AUSTRALASIZ. (Radiata, Pl. II. f. 8. 9, nat. size). 
Coral elongate, unbranched, rather tapering; cells numerous, 
regular, placed in close regular circles round the stem, each formed 
of two series of imbricate calcareous scales. 
Inhab. Australasian seas, on oyster-shell and stones. 
Several specimens of this very interesting coral were sent to the 
British Museum by the Royal Society of Van Diemen’s Land. 
This coral is often covered with various species of smaller Coral- 
lines and Alge. It varies from two to three feet in height. The 
axis is known from the unbranched species of Gorgonia by being 
more calcareous, and of a pale greyish colour. 
Joseph Milligan, Esq., F.L.S., the Secretary of the Royal Society 
of Van Diemen’s Land, has kindly sent me the following particulars 
of this coral :— 
“It was fished up from a depth of some fathoms in D’Entrecas- 
teaux Channel, between the mainland of Tasmania and Bruné 
Island. It is found, as you will see, affixed to rocks and stones, and 
to dead, broken, and half-decayed oyster and scallop-shells, &c. It 
usually exists in groups, groves or families, varying from three to 
four to a great many. The long delicate stem, which is horny- 
looking and highly elastic when dry, varies from the thickness of a 
knitting-wire to that of a crow-quill, and from its mineralized and 
root-like attachment, tapers gradually and gracefully to a beauti- 
ful acicular point, attaining not unfrequently a length of two or 
three feet, and having its entire surface covered with a calcareous 
coat of a cream-yellow colour, delicately annulated, so as much to 
resemble the fine string of wooden beads worn as a necklace by the 
poorer natives of Bengal, but with this difference,—that in the 
coralline the beads form a connected or rather continuous chain, 
independently of the delicate elastic centre upon which the mineral 
structure is deposited. I am informed that in one or two instances, 
when these corallines were procured, they were enveloped through- 
out with a mucilaginous or jelly-like substance, which when they 
become dry is exsiccated and shrivelled to such a degree as to be 
scarcely if at all traceable. You will be able to say whether you 
consider it likely that there exists, in the recent and living state of 
the zoophyte, such an external and soft organization.” 
This jelly-like substance was doubtless the polypes. 
