G O R G O N I A. 69 



ties of examining many fpecies perfectly well preferved, 

 which I had defired might be immerfed in fpirits the in- 

 ftant they were taken out of the fea : by this means, I 

 became pofTefTed of many curious ones, both from the 

 Mediterranean and Weft-India feas. So that what for- 

 merly appeared to me to be a friable calcareous matter, I 

 now find to be a real flefhy fubftance ; and that the in- 

 ternal hard part is of the fame ufe to thefe animals, as 

 bones are to other animals, that are cloathed with flefh. 

 Such of thefe animals as were carefully preferved in fpirits, 

 appeared as if they were alive, with their polype-like 

 fuckers extended in the action of catching their food, and 

 afforded me great pleafure to be able to examine them 

 with fome exactnefs. 



I firft differed them longitudinally, and perceived that 

 their flefh was furnifhed with an infinite number of mi- 

 nute mufcles and tendons, contrived in fuch a manner, 

 that, at the will of thefe animals,, they might extend the 

 openings of their cells on the outward furface, in order 

 to fend forth their polype-like fuckers, to ftretch out 

 their arms in fearch of food, or contract the fame open- 

 ings fuddenly, the inflant the polype fuckers were drawn, 

 back into their cells, the better to fecure thefe tender 

 parts from external injury. 



Proceeding thus far, I was led on to obferve, what kind 

 of communication there was between the fuekers and the 

 bone of the animal ; for this end I examined feveral fpe- 

 cimens, both dry, as well as thofe that were preferved in 

 fpirits, with good magnifying glaffes, and could diftinctly 

 trace an infinite number 01 -minute winding canals, that 

 lead from the fuckers through the flefh into thofe parallel 

 longitudinal tubes, which ciofely furround the bone or 

 folid part on all fides ; perhaps thefe may not improperly 



be 



