204 Professor Link's Observations on Zoophytes, 



did not observe filaments arranged round the centre of the 

 top, and supplied with distinct apertures. 



Schweigger speaks of these filaments, and combats the 

 opinion of Cavolini, who considers them as the filaments of 

 parasitical Confervae. They appear to be similar to those 

 which proceed from the mass of grains of the fuci, especially, 

 Fucus vesiculosus. Hence, we may unite Acetabularia with 

 Halimedea, or, form a peculiar family in which the Poly- 

 physa (Lam.) may be placed. 



The Alcyonium Bursa, Lam. Fucus Bursa, Turn. Spongo- 

 dium Bursa, Schw. has been long considered an Alga. The 

 same may be said of the Alcyonium vermiculare, Gmel. or 

 Vermicular ia retusa, Imperati, Fucus tomentosus, Turn. 

 Spongodium dichotomum, Stackhouse. Stackhouse places 

 this species in the genus Codium with the preceding, under 

 the name Codium tomentosum, and Agardh has followed 

 him. We have only to examine a fucus to be convinced, 

 that it belongs to this family. All the Fuci consist of sim- 

 ple tubes containing a canal filled with a granular coloured 

 mass. These are irregular when the plant is d7*y, and even 

 affect different shapes when in life. The fuci, therefore, 

 may be regarded as consisting of a number of filaments 

 analogous to the confervae. The Codium is distinguished 

 from common /«ci, such as F vesiculosus, 1st, By very short 

 and wide canals or cells. 2d, Because these cells appear 

 on the surface of the plant. But these differences are too 

 insignificant to form a proper separation of Codium and 

 Fucus. 



2. The second family is that of the Corallineae. 



When we place the Corallina vulgaris in dilute muriatic 

 acid we obtain the same form ; but possessing a gelatinous 

 consistence, with distinct articulations. When magnified, 

 we observe transverse stria? of a reddish colour, and a great 

 number of granules, as well as tubes, which are either 

 empty or full of granules. These granules separate by slight 

 pressure. All this substance consists of short straight cells, 

 placed in a gelatinous matter, and in contact. The same 

 structure is observed in Corallina rubens, which only differs 

 from C. officinalis in colour. In the C. rosarium the struc- 

 ture is a little different. The calcareous matter is greenish. 

 The granules are formed of striee, which are connected with 



