PLUMATELLA. 125 



sions already noted, who takes the liveliest interest in all my pursuits, and 

 who values the beauties of Nature as demonstrations of the Divine essence 

 vouchsafed to the gaze of admiring mankind. 



This fine specimen spread in adhesion over a stone bare of all other 

 vegetation. Its diffusion was such that it might have been bounded by a 

 quadrangle of four inches above, besides descending so much over one end 

 of the stone, that the whole area it occupied would have equalled twelve 

 or fourteen square inches. Nothing could surpass its luxuriance. At 

 least 1200 vivacious hydrse decorated the extremities of this wonderful 

 product.— Plate XXXI. 



.No description can adequately convey the appearance which so beau- 

 tiful an object presents to the view of the spectator. 



In the immediate vicinity of Fenton Tower, are some old quarry holes 

 of limited extent, full of water, with a quantity of loose materials broke 

 out of the rock. The under surface of some of them bore the Plumatella. 



The specimen having occurred unexpectedly, when I was unprovided 

 with a vessel of suitable capacity for its conveyance, it was carefully wrap- 

 ped in a wet cloth, whereon water was poured occasionally afterwards, and 

 thus reached the place of destination in perfect safety, on the 23d July, 

 the same day when found. 



The Plumatella repens is wholly tubular. It consists of very irregu- 

 larly formed boughs and branches, with tubular twigs, all alike irregular, 

 crowned by a retractile lunate ascidian hydra. This animal is provided 

 with numerous ciliated tentacula; those of the specimen from Fenton 

 Tower, I computed as between 70 and 80. Another withdrawn from a 

 neighbouring pool, invested the bark of a portion of some decaying shrub, 

 whereon the hydra; were in extraordinary profusion. They had at least 

 66 tentacula as enumerated. The dimensions of this latter specimen were 

 much inferior to those of that on the stone which had occurred during the 

 preceding year. 



Although much variety and irregularity may prevail in the fashion of 

 the growth of zoophytes, it is probable, that where vegetation is invigorated, 

 and its extension unchecked, corresponding forms will ensue. But such 

 facts can be established only by multiplied observations. 



