MÉMOIRE SUR LES ANTIPATHAIRES. 11 
acquièrent de la valeur. Ces citations sont d’ailleurs nécessaires 
pour montrer que l'opinion du savant anglais n’est pas celle à 
laquelle nous nous arrêtons. 
2 
T 
«Mr. Gray also stated, that on examining a specimen of 4nti- 
pathes sent to the British Museum by the Rev. R.-T. Lowe 
from Madeira, and which he believed to be identical with the 
Ant. dichotoma Pall., he had discovered the animals of this 
remarkable Coral, and thus ascertained (what had previously 
been only presumed from the close resemblance of their horny 
axes) its near relation to the genus Gorgonia. He regarded this 
confirmation of the generally received opinion as the more 
important in consequence of the apparent similarity between 
some of the species of Æntipathes and some strong fibrous 
Sponges, which are now generally believed not to be the 
habitations of Polypes. The minute branches of the specimen 
examined bore on their surface at irregular intervals a number 
of red, dry, pellueid tubercles; and portions of a similar 
substance were observed hanging from their sides. These on 
bemg immersed for some time in proof spirits, and afterwards 
placed for examination in water, exhibited under the micros- 
cope, in each tuberele, à Polype exactly similar to those of 
G'orgonia and Corallium, except that it had only six tentacula, 
while the Polypes of the two last named genera have eight. It 
is necessary to observe that when examined in spirit, the 
Polypes and the thin bark by which they are connected to 
each other and to the stem assumed à uniform waxy appea- 
rance, and broke down beneath the needle without exhibi- 
üing any traces of organisation. This cireumstance had nearly 
induced Mr. Gray to abandon his search, had he not discovered 
that by macerating in water, and thus removing the spirit, 
the Polype was restored to its natural gelatinous consistence ; 
in which state it was readily expanded and observed. Minute, 
pellucid, oval bodies, which are perhaps similar to the irre- 
gular papillary spiculæ found in the bark of Gorgonia, are 
scattered through the bark of this species of Antipathes, and 
the axes of its smaller branches are minutely tubular, 
