EUDENDRIUM RAMOSUM. 107 



illustrate to a group of these worthies, by exhibiting 

 to them specimens picked up upon the beach, the 

 nature of the objects we wanted them to procure, and 

 flattered ourselves, after bestowing upon them, as we 

 thought, a very interesting lecture, that we had suc- 

 ceeded. A new-comer, however, who joined the 

 group, happening to inquire, " What the gentleman 

 was wanting?" we were somewhat disconcerted on 

 seeing one of the bystanders significantly touch his 

 forehead and inform him in an undertone, that " the 

 gentleman was daft." Still we must reiterate our 

 advice to cultivate the good offices of the fishermen, 

 many of whom will be found by no means so im- 

 practicable as our Scotch friends, and by their assist- 

 ance the reader may perchance be indulged with an 

 opportunity of studying the history of the EUDEN- 

 DRIUM RAMOSUM, one of the most interesting zoo- 

 phytes met with in our seas. 



The Eudendrium (PL II. fig. 2), as its name im- 

 ports (ev beautiful, Sev&pov a tree), has much more 

 the appearance of being a vegetable than an animal 

 production, at all events until, when examined in its 

 native element, it is permitted to unfold its beauties 

 to the day, and thus reveal its proper character. 



Sometimes it resembles an aged tree, blighted 

 amidst the war of elements or withered by the deep 

 corrosions of time ; sometimes it resembles a vigorous 

 flowering shrub in miniature, rising with a dark brown 

 stem and diverging into numerous boughs, branches 

 and twigs, all terminating in so many Hydra-like 

 polyps, wherein red and yellow intermixed afford a 

 fine contrast to the whole. The glowing colours of 



