4 HISTORY OF BRITISH ZOOPHYTES. 



allowed that there is nothing in its growth similar to the 

 growth of plants. The polype, that is, the animal part, 

 grows, and increases in size like other animals ; the polypi- 

 dom, hoAvever, the house or covering of the polypes, though 

 it grows, has nothing vegetable in its growth, but is caused 

 to increase in size somewhat in the way that a shell is en- 

 larged to suit the increasing size of its inhabitant. 



Were we writing the biographical account of any distin- 

 guished person, or the history of any remarkable family, 

 we should be disposed to trace their pedigree as far back 

 as we could, especially if there A^ere anything illustrious 

 in the origin ; nor would we fail to mention tlie existing 

 relatives of the individual, and the various branches of the 

 family, though widely spread throughout foreign lands, pro- 

 vided they reflected honour on the person, or were creditable 

 to the family we had undertaken to describe. The families 

 of which we are about to treat, can, at all events, boast of 

 their antiquity, for they are at least as ancient as the period 

 of the flood. We know of no individuals, however, who 

 have risen to extraordinarv distinction, from low betnnnincrs 

 growing in excellence, and rising to high renown. There 

 has been no such wonderful development. The Sertularia; 

 that wave their plumes in the sea in the present day, are 



