OCR Text |
Show 230 MR. S. O. RIDLEY ON THE CORALLIID.35. [Feb. 7, or writings, with Precious Coral appear to be always of this foreign type, it seems certain that it is generally known in that country as a foreign product. The pieces of coral which actually form part of the ornaments, and which the m e n clasp or carry, is certainly not the form under notice, but appears to be Corallium nobile in all cases; it was of rather a pale colour in all the specimens which I have seen. All these specimens are antecedent in date of manufacture to the period at which the Japanese ports were opened to European commerce. Prof. Moseley has drawings of quite a similar character. Precious coral is widely used in the East for ornaments, especially in China, where M r . Franks informs m e that an Empress's necklace has been made of alternate pieces of jade and coral. In this case it is probably all derived from the Mediterranean, as the value placed upon it in the instance just mentioned is more than the Chinese would have set upon a native production, or probably even on one from Japan. Prof. Moseley says that the Japanese use Corallium as an ornament and in "netsukis" abundantly, that he imagined it came from the Mediterranean, but that several residents have told him that it occurs native in Japan. None was found there by the ' Challenger.' A friend of Prof. Moseley told him that he had seen plenty of Red Coral which had been obtained at Japan, but subsequently was doubtful that it might not have been a Distichopora. After considering all the evidence, I have still doubts as to whether the present specimens really are from Japan. It seems certain that much Corallium nobile has been imported into that country, probably by way of China. This is shown by Mr. Franks's ornaments to constitute at any rate the main origin of this substance for manufacturing- purposes in Japan. As the present species, from its hardness, compact structure, and deep colour, is hardly less fitted for those purposes than C. nobile itself, it would almost certainly have been thus employed if it were generally known in the country. In regard to the relations of the form, it may be seen at once to agree very closely with Pleurocorallium johnsoni (Pl. IX. fig. 5) in all essential characters, as the two forms of spicules, which are almost exactly identical in the two species-the cylindrical radiate of var. elatior having, however, but 6 radii as a rule ; the axis, also, is striated and party-coloured in the stem, instead of white and smooth ; and the cortex, besides being thinner, is scarlet instead of cream-coloured. However, it is undoubtedly a Pleurocorallium. Its relations to the original form of the species of which I have made it a variety are less certain. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, we are not acquainted with the characters of the spicules of Pleurocorallium secundum. From its resemblance to the present species in the party-coloured axis, pinnated branches, scarlet cortex with truncate Pleu-rocorallian verruca?, it appears at any rate to be nearly related to it; but as the verrucae are said to be placed mainly on the pinna? and not, as here, on the face of the branches, I think it m a y possibly be distinct. In that case I should propose the name elatius for the present form, on account of its more erect and ramose habit; meanwhile it m a y stand as var. elatior. The pinnate arrangement of the |