62 ZOOPHYTES. 



and free, with a grey or a brown stem, and Lydrse of vivid red and yellow, 

 faint carmine, or almost white : Or it runs as a thread in adhesion to sub- 

 jacent substances, merely shooting up twigs, and sometimes branches at 

 intervals. Then the twig is crowned by one, and the branch may be ter- 

 minated by ten florid hydrse. Adhesion of the stem, whenever contact 

 with a foreign substance ensues, is a peculiarity incident to most Sertu- 

 larise ; and then it appears that the vegetation, which should naturally 

 issue from the sides, if free, originates from the upper side only, the others 

 adhering to the substance. 



The difference between a luxuriant and a stunted specimen is in- 

 credible. 



None of the zoophytes can be compared in luxuriance and beauty to 

 the Tubularia ramea ; or can excite greater interest in beholding such an 

 animal product with its thousands of living parts growing from the same 

 spot, aflixed like a vegetable to the earth. 



Its nature is prolific, for the vesicles of some amount to thousands. 

 Yet it is not more — if equally prolific with others ; as the vesicle con- 

 tains only a single embryo, whereas the vesicles of some Sertularia; con- 

 tain above twenty. I cannot say whether any positive determination of 

 genus or species is to be founded on the paucity or the profusion. The 

 question merits investigation, 



I have not seen any specimen higher than nine inches, or more than 

 ten in divergence. Such are large zoophytes. The stem is then com- 

 posed of numerous tubuli. I do not well comprehend how the accessions 

 are gained to the single tube peculiar to early age. In their multiplied 

 condition, the tubuli appear as free and independent or united in clusters, 

 which may be seen from the section, PI. VIII. fig. 15. Similar speci- 

 mens are always imprinted with the marks of venerable antiquity. 



Plate VI. Tubularia (Sertularia) ramea ; aged specimen. 



VII. Tubularia (Sertularia) ramea ; adult enlarged. 



Plate VIII. Fig. 1. Hydra of Plate VII., enlarged. 

 2. Hydra of Plate VII., enlarged. 



