GORGONIA. 85 



and have the appearance of Tome fpecies of Barnacles ; 

 they are covered with white fcales of different fizes, placed 

 one over the other. The opening of each mouth is fur- 

 rounded by eight little pointed varves or fcales, which 

 clofe together in the dried fpecimens. If we compare the 

 fcales of the Coluber Ceraftes (of which there is a raoft 

 elegant figure in the Philofophical Tranfactions, Vol. 56. 

 tab. 14.) we fhall obferve fomething fimilar in the fcales 

 on the mouth of that animal, to thofe on this Gorgonia, 

 but varying in fhape according to the form of their 

 mouths : we may likewife fee what a variety ol ihapes 

 the fcales are of on the reft of the body of this viper, to 

 fuit the various turnings and twiftings of this active ani- 

 mal : in this Gorgonia, which is a fixt animal, the fcales 

 on the ftem and branches, which do not move, are much 

 of one form, differing greatly from thofe on the heads, 

 which are always in motion, while the animal is alive 

 and catching its food.. 



9. Gorgonia pedlinata. The Comb-like Gorgon. 



Gorgonia teres, ramu- This Gorgon is round ; its 



lis fecund is parallelis afcen- fmall branches come out pa- 

 dentibus, came rubra, of- rallel, and only on one fide> 

 cults creberrimis rotundis and grow erect. The flefh 

 prominulis, offe duro albo is reddifh ; the mouths are. 

 fragili, round, numerous, and pro- 



ject a little. The bone is 

 white within, hard and brittle, 



Seb. muf. 3. tab. 105. fig. 1. a. 



Gorgonia pe&inata. Linn. Syft. Nat. Ed. 1.2. pag. 1 292, 



This 



