Fig. a. A. 



Celliferoiis Corallines. 5^^ 



my worthy and ingenious Friend Mr. Peter CoUinfoft^ F. R. S. Plate xrx, 

 of a Specimen of this Clafs ofCoralHnes, which he had fent ^~ 

 him from America. Examining this carefully with the Mi- 

 crofcope, I plainly difcovered it to be the conneded Nidus s^ 

 or Matrix's of certain teftaceous Animals, like fmall Snails 

 or NeritcE ; an Account of which I have had the Honour 

 to lay before the Royal Society, in March 1753. 



That thefe little Snails are perfecfl Animals, no-body will 

 doubt, who has thoroughly examined them ; and that the 

 ultimate End of this curious branched Coralline, was made 

 fubfervient to the Purpofe of introducing thefe little Creatures 

 into Life : But fuppofe it is afked, How do thefe go on to 

 produce their Kind ? This indeed will be difficult to an- 

 fwer, unlefs we may by Analogy fuppofe, that thefe mi- 

 nute Shell-fifh grow large, and become capable of fpawn- 

 ing the whole Coralline, in the fame manner that the Buc- 

 cinum of New York does its curious Matrices which are 

 like long Bunches of Hops. See Plate XXXIII. Fig. a^ a \y 



Or, let us fuppofe, that the teftaceous Animal, now in 

 its utmoft Perfedion, lays its Eggs ; thefe turn into vermi- 

 cular-fhaped Polypes, which, after they have fixed them- 

 felves to fome marine Subftance, rife up, and pu(h forth into 

 Branches of fmall Polypes in their Cells, in a double Row, 

 alternately placed in refpedl to one another ; each having its 

 proper Cell, which is divided from the other by very thin 

 Partitions : And each little Polype is fecured by an umbili- 

 cal Ligament. 



From this State then of being fmall Polypes, we have ob- 

 ferved, that they change into teftaceous Animals, connefted 



F 2 to 



