5248 Zoophytes. 



Notice of the Occurrence in Cornwall of that rare Zoophyte, Retepora reticulata. — 

 As you always think it desirable to notice the occurrence of any of the rarer objects of 

 Natural History in the pages of the 'Zoologist,' I send for insertion a description of 

 a specimen of Retepora reticulata, which I recently procured from deep water off the 

 Scilly Islands. I can speak with certainty as to its great rarity in Cornish waters ; 

 and, judging from the very brief and imperfect description of it given by Johnston in 

 his ' British Zoophytes,' I conclude it is equally rare in other parts of the kingdom, 

 or that it but rarely falls to the lot of a naturalist to examine. It was first noticed as 

 British by Borlase, and he has figured it in his ' Natural History of Cornwall ;' by him 

 it was communicated to Ellis, who published a figure and short description in his 

 ' Essay on Corallines,' about three years before Borlase. Since that time I believe no 

 other Cornish specimen has been obtained till now. My specimen was hooked up in 

 fifty fathoms water, growing to a boulder of rounded slate, in company with Tubulipora 

 patina and T. serpens. It is about three-quarters of an inch in height and width, 

 and about one inch in its longest diameter. It is calcareous, white, foliaceous, shortly 

 pedunculated and funnel-shaped ; the polypidom is pierced with numerous oval 

 openings quincuncially arranged, having their longest diameter in the axis of growth. 

 The cells are confined to the upper surface only. It is a very light and very pretty 

 species, and in its dead state is of a pure white colour. The peduncle is rather small, 

 and is attached by a slightly spreading base. As it rises from the base it immediately 

 spreads out into its waved foliaceous expansions, assuming a funnel-shaped form, with 

 the free margin very unequal and much convoluted. The oval openings, which every- 

 where perforate the polypidom, are produced as the natural result of the peculiarities 

 which characterize the mode of branching. As the calcareous parts ascend from the 

 peduncle, the branches, which are short, arise in pairs and diverge from each other. 

 This diverging brings two neighbouring branches into contact, and they then unite, 

 leaving an open oval space between. The cells, which are confined exclusively to the 

 upper surface, are long, tubular and immersed throughout their whole extent, except 

 near the oral apertures, where they are more or less free and semi-erect. The aper- 

 tures of the cells are round and armed with one or two stout spines, which give the 

 surface of the coral, when viewed laterally, a rough appearance. The cells are 

 arranged on the branches either quincuncially or in twos and threes in oblique lines 

 across. The under-surface of the polypidom is plain, being marked only by lines 

 which indicate the course of the cells above. The specimen examined so closely 

 resembles the figure given by Borlase that no doubt can be entertained but that both 

 must be referred to the same species ; but I am inclined to think a little confusion 

 exists in authors respecting this and a kindred species, which perhaps it may be 

 difficult to remove on the evidence of a single specimen, though I have had an oppor- 

 tunity of comparing it with It. Beaniaua, which it most resembles. The synonyms 

 which appear to belong to this species, so far as I have yet examined, are — 



Retepora eschara marina. Ellis' Coral, p. 72, pi. xxv. fig. d, D. 

 Millepora retepora. Borlase, Nat. Hist. Corn. p. 240, pi. xxiv. fig. viii. 



„ reticulata. Lin. Syst. Nat. 1284 ; Ellis and Soland. Zoop. p. 138. 

 Retepora reticulata. Flem. Brit. An. ; Stark's Elem. vol. ii. p. 435 ; Stewart's 



Elem. ; Couch's Fauna, p. 130, pt. 3; Johnst. Brit. Zoop. p. 353. 



Dr. Johnston has quoted, at p. 353 of his valuable work on • British Zoophytes,' 

 Mr. King's remarks on R. Beaniana, in which he says, " In the Mediterranean coral 



