114 ZOOPHYTES. 



Perhaps a favourable season, conjoined with abundant aliment, may 

 promote the rapid growth of the species. 



The Alcyonella stdgnorum is always grey or blackish ; masses of the 

 present subject are yellowish. 



Here the profusion of the hydrae is very great, insomuch, that I found 

 on computation, that about sixty individuals might occupy a superficial 

 square inch. 



In as far as can be discerned by our grosser senses, these creatures 

 are similar to those of the preceding paragraph. But many minutiae, inap- 

 preciable by us, may constitute real distinctions. Every augmentation of 

 microscopical powers discloses some novelty ; whence such varieties of 

 form may exist among the animals as would sanction the multiplication of 

 genera or species of the Alcyonella. 



The form and proportions seem to correspond narrowly with the aspect 

 of the others ; but the tentacula of two which were enumerated, being 

 only 50 or 60 respectively, the question of their augmenting during the 

 season, or during life, must be weighed. So many leading and subordi- 

 nate points always remain to be fixed, that the most acute observer can 

 never affirm that his work is complete. — Fig. 8. 



The hydra in full extent stretches between two and three lines from 

 the surface of the stratum, and the head may be circumscribed by a circle 

 towards a line in diameter. The slenderness of the body increases in pro- 

 portion to its extension. 



Like the others, this animal is extremely quick and lively. If an 

 hundred be in full display at once, all collapse and sink amidst the stratum 

 in a moment. As in others also, this collapse seems the effect of what 

 may be called or compared to muscular action, through the operation of a 

 number of ligaments connecting different parts of the body with the sub- 

 stance below. But until incipient decay diminishes the opacity of the in- 

 termediate organization, they are concealed from the eye of the observer 

 by their transparence. During vigorous animation, the extremity of the 

 body is too deeply seated amidst the polyparium to admit distinct inspec- 

 tion, but it is discovered to be free when decay has commenced, from the 



