noTkVLLUS SCHI.OSSFK'I. 59 



recent in the microscope. The first time they hauled 

 in the drudge, I discovered a most extraordinary sea- 

 production surrounding the stem of an oldfucus feres : 

 it was of a hardish, but fleshy substance, and more 

 than an inch thick, of a light brown or ash colour, the 

 whole surface covered over with bright yellow shining 

 and star-like bodies, which induced me to believe it to 

 be an undescribed species of alcyonium. I put it 

 immediately into a bucket of sea-water, expecting every 

 moment, that the polypes, which I thought to lodge in 

 those little stars, would extend and shew themselves 

 like those of the alcyonium, X - of //'///'.s Synopsis', 

 commonly called dead-man's hand ; but after more 



FIG. 119. Face vievr of a system of Botrijllus Schlosseri. Magnified. 

 (After Ellis, loc. cit., pi. xiv, f. C.) 



than half an hour's fix'd attention, the vessel lying 

 very quiet all the time, I did not perceive the least 

 appearance of any polypes : upon which I brought them 

 to shore in the sea-water, and then, by means of my 

 microscope, I discovered every one of those stars to 

 be a true animal, and much more beautiful than any 

 polype, but quite of a different structure ; which I shall 

 now describe to you. 



" Every one of those stars is composed of many thin 

 hollow radii, of a pear-shape form, from five to twelve 

 or more in number, all united intimately at their 

 smaller end : every radius appears broad at the extreme 

 part from the center, and a little convex in the middle 

 of this raised broad part. When the animal is alive, 

 there appears a circular little hole, which contracts 



