ALOYONELLA. 121 



In as far as sensibly exposed all seemed empty. Their numbers cer- 

 tainly augmented ; but in two or three months they underwent no evi- 

 dent change ; indeed, had they done so, it would have been of difficult de- 

 tection. Though here denominated vesicles, in conformity with their re- 

 semblance to similar objects on the Sertulariac, I cannot venture to pro- 

 nounce any decisive opinion regarding them, or their real nature, without 

 farther opportunities. Possibly they are known to others. 



Returning once more to Foulden Pond, which had previously afford- 

 ed such an exuberant harvest, not only of zoophytes, but of other natural 

 products, I resumed my search for the Alcyonella in the middle of Septem- 

 ber 1839, being two years from my last visit; but now, I may affirm, un- 

 successful in what I had expected to find. 



The pond had been completely drained in spring, enlarged consider- 

 ably at that time, and, at the present juncture, very full and muddy from 

 recent rain. 



Few fragments of wood were obtained from it, nor were any of them 

 invested by animal substances. 



A very handsome canoe, the workmanship of an ingenious amateur 

 mechanic, Captain Murray Garthshore, whose regiment was quartered in 

 Berwick, now lay in the middle of the pond. It had been newly painted 

 in May, nor had ever since been out of the water, and at the present time 

 was half full of it. 



To leave nothing undone, the canoe being hauled on the margin and 

 turned upside down, I was much astonished, after my previous unsuccess- 

 ful search, to find a zoophyte overspreading the bottom in the most luxu- 

 riant profusion. 



At least forty specimens were presented to view, which soon convinced 

 me, by their dimensions and rich vegetation, of how little I had previously 

 witnessed in such an interesting product. 



As before, these specimens much resembled the spawn of frogs. They 

 diffused in tendency to circumscription by a circle, radiating from a centre, 

 to terminate in angular extremities confined within that boundary. Very 

 fine specimens were four inches or more in diameter; one spread eight 

 inches in length by six in breadth in an uninterrupted stratum, tending to 



VOL. II. Q 



