Cy2 CLASSIFICATIONS OF ZOOPHYTES. 



in similar labours; but, proceeding on different principles, they 

 arrived at very different results. The anatomy of the workers 

 or polypes was, according to Lamouroux, so imperfectly ascer- 

 tained, and from their situation as well as from their minute- 

 ness, so little within attainment, that it seemed hopeless to pro- 

 cure materials for a classification from that source, and he con- 

 fined his attention solely to the polypidoms, on whose composi- 

 tion he founded his primary divisions. Lamarck, although he 

 also confined his examination to the polypidoms, took higher 

 ground : he maintained that as these were secreted by the poly- 

 pes and formed on and by them, a sameness in the structure of 

 the one necessarily implied a sameness in the structure of the 

 other; that in fact we might as safely infer a sameness of struc- 

 ture or dissimilarity from the various configurations of the poly- 

 pe-cells and coral, as we could from an actual inspection of the 

 animated tenants themselves. The experience of a few years 

 has shown either that Lamarck's examination of the coral was 

 hasty, or that his principle was erroneous, for his arrangement 

 is far from being in harmony with a physiological one, and, 

 although greatly superior to Lamouroux's, yet is not the less ar- 

 tificial ; there being even in some of his genera, species whose 

 polypes are widely at variance with each other. I do not mean 

 to trace the systems of either of these authors through their va- 

 rious changes, from their first promulgation to their perfection ;* 

 an outline of them in their latest state is sufficient for our purpose. 



System of LAMOURoux.f (182L) 



Division I. 

 POLYPIDOMS FLEXIBLE, OR NOT ENTIRELY STONY. 



Section 1. 

 PoLYPiERS CELLULIFERES. — Polypes in non-irritable cellules. 

 Ord. I. Celleporees. — Tubulipore. Cellepore. 

 Ord. II. Flustrees. — Berenice. Pheruse. Elzerine. Flustre. 

 Electre. 



* Blainville has given a history of all the proposed classificatiors in chrono- 

 logical series in his Manuel d'Actinologie, which the reader may consult with 

 advantage. 



t The primary sections of this systematist may have been borrowed from J. 

 E. Roques de Maumont Sec Blainr. Man. d'Actinol. p. 2-3. 



