XII INTRODUCTION. 



lists to the subject by the publication of his 

 remarkable experiments on the fresh water 

 polypes; then Reaumur, recollecting Peyssonnel's 

 papers, examined the subject for himself, and 

 to compensate for his former caution advocated 

 them with boldness. But though he did it with 

 great eloquence and ability, yet they were 

 considered so extraordinary that they again 

 sunk into oblivion, till Ellis, with the hand of 

 a master brought the whole subject clearly and 

 convincingly to light. Ellis after a great deal 

 of research and patient investigation, published 

 his celebrated " Essay on Corallines," in which 

 he placed their animal characters on so firm a 

 foundation, that they have ever since withstood 

 the power of all assailants. He met, however, 

 with opposition as powerful as it was fruitless ; 

 for though all the most eminent men of his 

 day opposed him, yet his superior knowledge 

 of the subject placed them entirely within his 

 power. The most influential of those who 

 differed from him was Linnaeus, who at that 

 time was in the zenith of his fame, and from 

 whose decision there was no appeal; yet from 

 Ellis' reasonings, he altered his opinions several 

 times He at first considered them to be purely 

 vegetable, but afterwards thought the horny 

 species might partake both of the animal and 

 vegetable natures. On this subject his views 

 Mere highly poetical; " Zoophyta" he says in 

 a letter to Ellis, " are constructed very dif- 

 ferently, living by a mere vegetable life, and 

 are increased every year under their bark, like 

 trees, as appears from the annual rings in a 

 section of tlie trunk of tiie Gorgonia. They are 

 therefore vegetables, with flowers like small 

 animals, which you ha\e most beautifully de- 

 lineated. All sub-marine plants are nourished 



