440 



CLASSIFICATIONS OF ZOOPHYTES. 



EscHARA Stirps papyracea, nuda, porosa, 



CoRALLiNA Stirps fibrosa, crustata, articulata : articulis multi- 



floris. 

 Sertularia Stirps fibrosa, nuda, articulata : articulis unifloris. 

 Hydra Stirps subradicata, gelatinosa, apice florifera. 

 Pennatula Stirps libera, pennata, basi ore iiistructa. 

 T^NiA Stirps libera, moniliformis, articulata. 

 VoLvox Stirps libera, globosa, sobole nidulante."* 



The precision of the definitions in this arrangement, and 

 the manner in which they are contrasted, is highly charac- 

 teristic of its author, but into many of the genera species are 

 nitroduced, which are not conformable to the definitions ; 

 and some of these, Pennatula and Hydra, for example, are 

 grossly erroneous. The theoretical character of the second 

 order, and of some of its genera, might also be objected to 

 m a matter-of-fact work ; but it is an easy task for the 

 student of the present sera to point out defects in the me- 

 thod of the master who had to plan the way, and who 

 succeeded in making it level and easy to his followers. 



Pallas, in 1766, embraced the Lithophyta and Zoophyta 

 in one order, for which he adopted the latter denomination, 

 for he very properly believed that the Linnaean distinctions 

 served only to " divide the things that are in nature join'd." 

 He separated some spurious species of Hydra and formed 

 them into the genus Brachionus, which, though a good genus, 

 is a doubtful member of the order of zoophytes. His genus 

 Antipathes, severed from Gorgonia, is well defined ; and with 

 equal propriety he restored the celliferous corallines of Ellis, 

 which Linnaeus had mixed with the Sertularia, to a separate 

 generic rank — Cellularia. The claims of Taenia, Volvox, and 

 Corallina to a place amongst zoophytes were disallowed, 

 although he has described the species in an appendix, for 

 he knew that Taenia properly belonged to the intestinal 

 worms, and Volvox to the infusorial animalcules ; and he 

 believed that Corallina was altogether of a vegetable nature. 



In the twelfth edition of the " Systema," published in 

 J 767, Linnaeus made no material improvements on his first 

 system, but the errors relative to the Hydra and Pennatula 



* Syst. Nat. p. 646. Halae Magdeburg. 1760. 



