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Show 26 DR. J. E. GRAY ON TWO NEW CORALS. [Jail. 9, These two cones are only preserved on the inner side of the branches, where they have been protected from erosion, during the carriage of the coral from Japan, by the branches opposite to them. It might be said that they are not naturally found in any other part; but there are some remains of them, enough to show their existence, in various other parts of the specimen. If they had not fortunately been preserved in some part of the coral, one might have been led to describe the coral as furnished with close rings of cells with open circular mouth : but this form of the mouth ought to have attracted one's attention; the mouth of the cells of the Barked Corals is always closed by the contracted part of the polype. But one might have believed that in this specimen the contracted portion had been worn away by erosion. The species may be called Calyptrophora japonica. (Fig. 1.) Japan has produced some curious marine productions, as, for example, the " Glass Plant," better called the " Glass Rope " (Hyalo-nema). This Coral was for several years considered a great rarity ; but it must be common on the Japanese coast, for hardly a vessel comes from that country without bringing specimens of it. And lately we have been rather surprised at hearing that the same genus is found nearer home, on the coast of Portugal. It has been lately shown that Hyalonema belongs to the Actinoid Polypes, near to Zoanthus and, especially, Corticaria. I have verified this by an examination of the animal after soaking it in water; and it is surprising that the number of folds round the mouth of the cell had not led one to believe it before. This is a group of animals in which anything like a central axis has not been observed before ; but I believe that the siliceous glass-like fibres really belong to the animal that covers them. The two are always found in connexion, both in Japan and in Portugal; so that I can only regard the theory of Mr. Bowerbank and some of the German naturalists, that the siliceous fibres belong to the sponge in which the Coral is sometimes imbedded, and that the animal is only parasitic upon them, as not consistent with our knowledge. The second Coral I discovered among a number of Zoophytes from the Cape of Good Hope, which Mrs. Alfred Gatty brought to the British Museum for m y inspection; they had been sent to her by Dr. Rubidge. This collection contained several very interesting kinds of Sponges aud smaller Zoophytes along with two specimens of the Coral under consideration, and a specimen which seems to be allied to it, from which the bark had been washed. This Cape Coral is nearly allied to the Paragorgia of M . Milne- Edwards ; but the axis is much more solid and regular, having none of the friability or porous sponginess of the axis of that Coral. This is much more slender, which is consistent with the greater hardness and uniformity of texture of the axis. I have no doubt there are several species of these Corals to be described. The one under consideration may be named |