OCR Text |
Show 1882.] MR. S. O. RIDLEY ON THE CORALLIID^*. 229 of it; the spicule is thus sexradiate. (Varieties of the typical occur, in which both the tubercles of the antero-posterior faces may be on one side; in this case one of them may be double, or one of them may be subterminal and appear to project beyond the end of the shaft; or one of them may be wanting, or one may occur in addition at one or both ends ; in the latter case the result is an octoradiate like that of Corallium nobile.) Tubercles short, broad, expanding from their base into fungiform disks, themselves tuberculate with numerous short, rather blunt, small tubercles. Size (average maximum) 0*7 by 0*53 m m . (ii.) Second form of spicule shaped like an opera-glass, viz. like two short globular bottles attached by their sides ; it consists of two subspherical lobes separated by a constriction, generally with tubercular excrescences borne on secondary lobes on their surface, and minute tubercles on their surface and edges; the upper margin of each lobe is produced into a short, strongly tuberculate, handle-like process of variable shape. Generally coloured pale red. Average maximum size:-length (across lobes) 0*6 mm., breadth (from apex of handle to lower extremity of lobes) 0*53 mm., maximum thickness of lobe from front to back 0*35 m m . (It is practically identical with the similar spicule of P. johnsoni.) Hab. Said to come from Japan. This most interesting form is represented by two portions, perhaps, but not certainly, belonging to the same colony. The long diameter of the present common stem of the larger specimen is 11 mm., the lesser diameter (antero-posterior) 9 m m . ; these thicknesses are maintained approximately for most of the first internode, which is 25 m m . long; probable maximum lateral spread of branches 60 to 70 mm.; height above present base probably, when complete, about 200 m m. Mr. Moseley has very liberally presented the specimens to the national collection ; and I am much indebted to him for this opportunity of describing them. They were stated by the dealer from whom he obtained them to have been received from Japan, whence it was said that hundredweights came into the market, which, however, found but little sale. The locality is perhaps correct; but I have been unable, after diligent search, to find any record, either in scientific writings and travels, or in works of general information, of the occurrence of any native Japanese coral which was at all likely to belong to the Coralliida. To Messrs. Franks and Read, of the Ethnological Department in the British Museum, I am much indebted for information bearing on the subject. Mr. Franks has in his private collection a number of Japanese carved figures, called in Japan " netsuki," in most of which small dark men of a peculiar physiognomy, not Japanese, are represented as carrying coral, or (though this point is not so certain) as bringing it up from the sea. The coral thus depicted is either of actual specimens of Corallium or consists of carvings apparently representing it. Japanese writings call these men "black men." It is certain that they are not intended for Japanese; and as the men associated, whether in the ornaments |