SERTULARIA. 177 



for enrolment as PlumularicB, a few as Campanularia, and so on of others. 

 This would be a laudable and a useful plan were it profoundly laid — were 

 the distinctions so prominent and exclusive as to show a positive transi- 

 tion ; but where they are slight or equivocal, they must be accounted of 

 little avail. 



Of this the subject of the present paragraph offers so strong an ex- 

 ample, that recent authors debate whether it should be removed from the 

 Sertulariffi. The point is unimportant. 



The product is of delicate and elegant structure ; its general configu- 

 ration resembling a series of feathers implanted in spiral arrangement 

 around a slender stem, which rises about twelve inches high. These 

 feathers, like branches, extend from an inch and a half to two inches, 

 shortening in proportion to their height on the stem : each consists of 

 from 20 to 30 twigs, arranged alternately on the sides of the rib, and also 

 shortening regularly in advancing towards the extremity. A slight gene- 

 ral recurvature of the points characterizes the whole product, much tend- 

 ing to its elegance and symmetry, which, to be duly appreciated, requires 

 the presence of its native element, waving amidst it ; the height of the 

 finer specimens being 300 or 400 times the diameter of the stem, pre- 

 cludes it from sustaining itself without the aid of the water. 



The branches are neither in pairs, in sets, nor strictly in spiral ar- 

 rangement on the stem ; two or three, nearly in a vertical line, are above 

 each other ; and then, two or three, somewhat off that vertical line, above 

 them, thus producing the apparent spiral exhibited by the position of the 

 whole.— PL XXXIII. 



The adult is yellowish and opaque ; but, regenerated parts are pure 

 white. Though occurring in great profusion, this product can be seldom 

 procured entire, thus compelling the naturalist to represent smaller spe- 

 cimens or their extremities, for the sake of showing them in greater per- 

 fection. 



The Sertularia generally rises by a single stem, whereon the branches 

 above described are implanted. It is rarely of such luxuriance as to pro- 

 duce so large a limb as the lesser division appearing on the figure. 



It will be observed that what I denominate a branch, issues imme- 

 diately from the stem ; that it is composed of a rib, from each side of 



VOL. I. z 



