Articulated Corallines. 45 



CHAP. V. 



Of the Articulated Corallines. 



As the Corallines hitherto deicribed took their Rife from 

 hollow, flexible, and horny Tubes, cither lingle, or ' 

 many together ; and proceeding uniformly to their Termi- 

 nations in Branches, confifting either of firaple Tubes, or 

 of fuch as are furnifhed with Denticles, or Veficles, or both, 

 or of connected Rows oi: Cells ; fo thefe, which we call ar- 

 ticulated Corallines, are obvioufly different in their external 

 Appearance, and in their Strudure ; though the Ufe of all 

 the Kinds appear manifeftly to be the fame j viz. the Places 

 of Abode of different Species of Polypes. 



This Kind then, carefully examined by the Microfcope, 

 appears to conGft of fbort Pieces of a ftony or cretaceous 

 brittle Matter, whofe Surface is covered with Pores, or Cells. 

 Thefe ftony Pieces, or Joints, are united to one another by 

 a tough, membranous, flexible Subftance, made up of many 

 fmall Tubes of the like Nature, compaded together. 



When thefe are put into Vinegar, the ftony or cretaceous 

 Part is foon diflblved, and leaves the other Part intire, which 

 not only forms the ligamentous pliant Articulations ; but is 

 likewife the Subjlratum^ and even forms the Cells, of the 

 ftony Joints themfelves. 



Among the firft of thefe I fhall place ; 



