POLYZOA. 93 



History of Corallines; it embraces, as at present consti- 

 tuted, a numerous assemblage of Plant-like animals of 

 delicate and beautiful forms, composed of a tubular corneous 

 substance, filled by the internal connection of the animals, 

 which unites them together into one connnunity, the 

 animals showing themselves like so many stellate flowers 

 from cells variously disposed along the stems and branches. 

 Linngeus first instituted this Genus, including in it all 

 the tubular corneous, and crustaceous Zoophites, and even 

 several decidedly cellular. The subdivision of this hete- 

 rogeneous family has consequently devolved upon the 

 Naturalists of the present day, who have formed out of it 

 a number of new genera, thus, Lamarck (Hist. Nat. des 

 Anim. sans Vertebres) has Campanularia, Plumularia and 

 Antennularia, -Sertularia and Serialaria, formed out of the 

 corneous Species alone ; more lately Mons. Lamouroux, 

 who has devoted his attention almost exclusively to 

 jVIarine productions, (Hist, des Polypiers Jlexibles,) has 

 increased the number of Genera to double the above 

 amount, but, it is to be regretted, without having even 

 adopted the names of those previously indicated by Lam- 

 arck, at the same time that he has enriched it with some 

 new types: still, from the want of acquaintance with the 

 animal inhabitant, both have left their Sertularise more or 

 less heterogeneous. 



As a whole, the Sertulariee of Linnaeus present us with 

 the singular and unexpected result, of productions under 

 great similitude of external appearance inhabited by animals 

 not even Classically related ! 



In prosecuting the study of Marine productions, the 

 Sertulariae have fallen in an especial manner under the 

 notice of the author, and presented a number of interesting 

 results, but none so remarkable as the discovery of an 

 animal inhabiting the presumed Sertularia imbricata of 

 Adams? {Trans. Linn. Soc. Vol. V, t. 2, f. 5-11,) of a 



