Veficulated Corallines. 17 



N°. 15. Corailina ereSitty iubulofa,pennata, hakcisfpince facie, pi^.e x. 

 Coral Una fcrupofa^ pe?i7iatay caulkulis crajftujculis rigidis. 

 R. S. N^ 15. p. 36. 

 Herring-bone Coralline. 



This Coralline is often found flicking to Oyfters as they 

 are brought to the London Market, during the Winter- feafon. 



It grows to be 6 or 8 Inches high, ere(5l and ftiff, but very- 

 brittle when it is dry. The Stems confifl: of a great Num- 

 ber of fmall Tubes growing nearly Parallel to each other ; 

 in fome, one may count, in a tranfverfe Sedlion, above 

 one hundred : Thefe feem to arife from a great Niunber of 

 the fame fort of Tubes, irregularly matted together like a 

 piece of Sponge ; which are fixed to Oyfter-fhclls, and fup- 

 port the Coralline like fo many Roots. 



This Coralline increafes in Size, by Detachments of thefc 

 tubulous Roots, which arife all round, and creep along the 

 Outfide of thofe that went before, to which they firmly ad- 

 here ; and when they arrive at the Deftination, that Nature 

 has appointed them, they change their Appearance, and take 

 the Shape of Branches, placed at a regular Angle of 45 De- 

 grees from the Stem j and fo exa<Elly proportionable is the 

 Diftance of thefe Branches from one another, that though 

 they are placed alternately, with refpcd: to each other, yet 

 the whole has, at firft Sight, the Appearance of an HCTring- 

 bone ; the Sockets on the Branches are placed alternately. 

 On thefe Sockets, while 1 was at Whitjlabh in Augtijl laft, 

 I perceived very tender tranfparent Denticles of a cylindrical 

 Shape, which appeared to be double ; that is^ one above the 

 other ; in thefe were Polypes, which were connedled by their 

 lower Parts to a flender flefhy Subftance of the fame Nature 

 with themfelves, which I could trace through the Middle of 

 the Branches, and Tubes of the Stem. 



D I re- 



