Fie THE MEDALS OF CREATION. Cuap. VII. 
IpmoneEA ComprToniAna,* Lign. 89, fig. 14.—This is a very — 
small and remarkable coral it is dichotomous, cylindrical, 
with elongated distinct oats which are disposed in triplets, — 
at regular distinct intervals, on one side of the stem. 
We have now described all the fossil corals figured in~ 
Lign. 89; and have shown what interesting organisms may — 
be detected in a few grains of calcareous earth. It would 
be easy to give restored figures of the beings whose stony 
skeletons are the subject of these remarks, from their close — 
resemblance to existing species; every pore and cell might 
be represented fraught with life; here the agile inmates, — 
with their little arms fully expanded, and in rapid motion; 
there retreating within their recesses, and devouring the in- 
finitesimal living atoms that constitute their food ; or rapidly 
shrinking up their tentacula upon the approach of danger; 
even their varied colours might be introduced, and thus the | 
beautiful and highly interesting picture drawn by the imagi- 
nation, of a group of living zoophytes of the ancient chalk — 
ocean, be presented to the eye. 
Although, for convenience, I have selected the above ex- 
amples principally from the cretaceous strata, the reader must 
not suppose that other deposits are not equally prolific in 
these remains. The Coral-rag of the Oolite, many beds of 
the Mountain limestone, and those of Dudley and Wenlock of 
the Silurian System, contain myriads of minute polypidoms 
associated with the coralline masses of which we have already 
treated. Exquisite figures of the Silurian corals, by Mr. 
Scharf, are given in Sil. Syst. pl. xv. xvi. and described by 
some idea to the unscientific reader, of the labour bestowed on this 
department of paleontolog y, to learn that the description and iden- 
tification of but 25 species of minute corals, represented on three 
plates, occupy ninety pages of close printing in royal 4to. of Mr. 
Dixon’s work. 
* This specific name is in honour of the noble and highly respected 
President of the Royal Society, the Marquess of Northampton. 1844. 
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