ALCYONIUM. 215 



expression alcyon or halcyon days, which we all so much 

 desire. 



Tliis is spoken of as being very common on all our shores. 

 It is by no means common on those parts of our shores 

 which are sandy, but we have got very fine specimens from 

 Arran and Cumbraes. When it is large and lobed, it as- 

 sumes forms to which our fishermen fail not to give appro- 

 priate names, such as dead man's hands, dead man's toes, 

 cows' paps. A specimen of the latter kind, found on the 

 shore at Saltcoats, was brought to me as a great wonder. 

 It certainly very much resembled the udder of a little High- 

 land cow. AYhen a specimen is got in a fresh state, the 

 naked eye can easily see that the surface is closely covered 

 with star-like figures, and if placed in sea-water, these star- 

 like impressions project considerably from the surface, show- 

 ing that they are polypes with eight tentacula. Ellis says 

 that the specimen he figures in plate xxxii. was got at the 

 Nore, adhering to an oyster-shell. " When it first came, I 

 observed the surface full of small papiUse, with a star of 

 eight points on the top of each. After it had been suffered 

 to rest for some time in the salt-water, each small star sent 

 forth a polype with eight tentacula." Dr. Johnston also 

 remarks, "When a specimen of Alcyonium digitatum is 



