in 



AU'YOXII 



M baring been previously employed to name plant. Alryonmm 

 In- kiiii-fii.il. r; and tin* word mean* sea-foam. 

 f * hirb UM kingfisher* were supposed to make tl uir no*t*. 



The species in question is one of tbe most common of our maritime 

 production*, and ia fount! on stones and ahelb and rocks, and can 

 frequently be collected at the low-water mark during a spring-tide. 

 It sometime* cover* the object to which it U attached an a mere crust, 

 at other time* it riant up in one or more conical nn*on Where there 

 ia only one, the fishermen give it the name of the Cow'i Papa, from iu 

 resemblance to the teat of the oow't udder. Tbe akin is tough, and 

 when examined present* little radiated point*, which indicate wli.-n- 

 the tentacle* of the polype* exist. The tentacle* are abort, obtuse, and 

 ciliated on the margin*. The polype-cell* are placed just under thu 

 akin, at the termination of a aerie* of aquiferou* canal* wbii-li run 

 throughout the polype-man. These tube* communicate with each 

 other, *o that many of the polype* are, a* it were, collected together, 

 forming a ei >m |>und animal. The space between the tube* in occupied 

 by a loose fibroua network, forming loaenge-ahaped compartment*, 

 with smaller meihea in them. These iiiterntice* are filled with gela- 

 tinous matter, in which irregular calcareous spicuke lie embedded. 

 The ova are developed in the polype-tubes, and are about tbe size of 

 a grain of sand. They are produced in spring and summer, and 

 ultimately discharged from the mouth of the polype. 



A second species of Alfyuiuum, A. glotueratum, ha* been described 

 by Dr. A. H. Hassall. 



The genus Sartodictyon has been described by Professor Edward 

 Forbes. It differs from Alcyvnium in the incrusting, creeping, and 

 anastomosing form it assume*. It* polypes also are distant from each 

 other, and placed in uniscriol prominent cells. It ha* eight pinnated 

 tentscula. Only one species has been described, S. catenata. 



(Johnston, Britith Zoophyte*.) 



ALCYON1DIUM (from Alri/iuiium, on account of its external 

 resemblance), a genus of animals belonging to the I nf undibulate section 

 of the Polyzoa, or Atridian Zoophyte*. It presents a fleshy variously- 

 lobed mass, containing in it 5-sided cells, which contain ascidian 

 polypes surrounded with a double sheath. The most common species 

 of this genus is the A. ytlat iautum. It is one of the most common 

 productions of the sea-shore, and few persons can have been at the 

 sea-side without having noticed it. The older Imtauintn described it 

 as a plant (ierard in his ' Herbal ' says : " This is a very succulent 

 and fungous plant of the thicknesse of one's thumbe ; it IK of a dork 

 yellowish colour, and huncheth forth on evericside with many unequal 

 tnbsrarftUa or knots." He called it the ' Sea Kagged Staffe.' liay 

 called it a fueiu ; but Lamouroiut, who nrxt classed it amongst 

 plants, has the honour of having discovered that it was studded all 

 I'Yt-r with polypes. We are indebted to Dr. Arthur Karre for a very 

 elaborate account (' Phil. Trans.,' 1839) of this creature. The polype- 

 ma*s grows naturally in deep water attached to old shells and stones. 

 It is however washed upon most of our coast* after every storm. The 

 mass is clustered or fingered, and rises to the height of from 6 to 

 12 or 18 inches. It resembles a compact sponge, but is more pellucid 

 and gelatinous. The surface is smooth, but is speckled with dots 

 which indicate the spot* where the polypex are contained. The 

 polypes are so closely connected with their cells that it is impossible 

 to separate them without mutilation. The tentacles are 10 in iminlxr. 



Two other species have been described as frequent on the British 

 coasts, A. hirmitum and A. parmii. 



(Johnston, Hriiusli Zoophyte*.) 



ALCYONIUM. [AIXTOKIDA.] 



ALDEK. [ALSUS]. 



ALECTO (one of the Furies of the Greek mythology), a genus of 

 Infundibulate Polytoa, characterised by the creeping ami !> 

 character of it* polype-mass. There are several species, all of which 

 are found attached to old shells and stones, and are mostly dredged 

 f..r in deep 



ALKTHo TTKUIS (Stemberg), a genus of Fossil Ferns, mostly 

 from the Coal formation. (Pecoplerit of Dmngniurt.) 



A L ETUIS, a genus of plant* belonging to the natural order 



J.iluimt. One of the specie*, A. farinota, is the most intense hitler 



known. It i found in fields and the edges of woods very rommmily 



in the United State*, and i* used in infusion as a tonic and stomachic. 



dorns produce poisonous effects. 



A I .IH I: ITES, ageuu' of Knphorbiaceoua plants, many of the species 

 of which are now referred to Union. [CBOTON.] 



A I.KX A XIUMTE, a name given to specimens of the mineral 

 'iltfryl, brought fr. .in HIM I 'nil. (( 'uiirsuiiKKTL.] 



AI.IJ.K is the name given by botanists to tbe tribe of plants which 

 comprehend* the Sea-Weeds, Lavers, and fresh-water submersed 

 specie* of similar habit* In structure they vary through a vast 

 variety of intermediate gradations, from the state of simple microscopic 

 vesicle* to branched woody individuals many fathoms in length. 

 of them are only visible to the naked eye when they are 

 collected in heaps ; of this nature is the green ami red slime that we 

 Imd in 'lamp walks, at the Ixittoin of xhaded walls, and in similar 

 situation* ; other* grow together iu tbe tied* of the ocean, and when 

 they rise to the surface form floating banks of such extent as to 

 impede the course of ships; of this kind are the Chorda JUum, or 

 Sea Cat-Out, of Orkney, meadow* of which have been wen in Scalp* 



Uay;andth> i of navigators, which, according to H imbcldt, 



u ..I !;, the ( iiilf Stream. ; ' tuiks iu tbe grvat Uiaiu 



in Atlantic Oot-aii, "lie ..1 :. > 11 degree* 



I.-, atid the other over 4 degree*. 



Tbe plant* included under this designation are every day beoomiur 

 batter known through the influence which the micn-copc and i 

 method* of investigation are producing in every departim 

 natural history. I n.ler the term Alyir l.iiuuriw im:lude.l il,.- 

 Lichens and other plant* a* an order in the class CVvy/w/ui., 

 Acrvyexj. The Lichen* have been long since separated ; but the 

 plants that are now ordinarily called Al'jir present differences quite 

 as wide as any that separate the order* of the clas* Kjcoytnt, so t hat, 

 we cannot regard the term Alaa as of only ordinal value, i 

 in his ' Vegetable Kingdom, constitute* an alliance which he calk 

 AlyaJa, and which he make* to embrace the following natural order* : 



1. IKaiomacea, "i i nul. wc.rts. 



Z Confereacttz, or Ct>uferva*. 



3. J-'ucaceir, or Sea Wracks. 



4. Ctrumiacea, or Uose Tangle*. 



5. Ckaraeece, or Charada, 



The first of these orders include* the Demulnr, which are almost 

 entirely microsoo] . are hardly coiiiprihiiid.-.) umliT Uio 



Mga at all. [DIATUUAI E.K ; HtsMii>t.ii.J It is onl\ 

 recently that naturauste have come to the conclusion that they are 

 plants. The Charads, or tilth order, present in many respect* a 

 much higher development than the rest, and may be justly regarded 

 as not belonging to Alyir. [CiiAH.u E.K] Tbe nl.it: 

 groups to each other and the animal kingdom may be seen in the 

 following diagram, given by Professor Harvey in his work uu Uio 

 'British 



KhcxlomelaoaBh 



Ithodonpermra>. 



i madam - 



As Mr. Harvey is the most recent writer on this subject we n}mll 

 follow him in thin article. He divides the Alffir into three mib-clamea, 



1. Mel<tno*perinrrr, \vhi< h are mnrine plant* of an olive jfrern. <r 

 olive brown colour, having a nioii.i rionu ,, r .li.reious fnn'tili. 



The spores are oli i ; each enveloped in ft i>ellucid nkin. and 



either simple, or separating into two, four, or eipht ponil.--. They 

 possesn anllirriiliii, or transparent, oninpe-coloured, vivacious corpusclen, 

 moving by means of vilirntile cilia. 



2. Rhodoiparmttr, which, with one or two are marine 

 plante, mostl;, red or purple colour. The fructification i of 

 two kinds : either of spores in external or immersed concepts 

 densely aggregated together and dispersed throughout masses of the 

 frond ; or of tctraspores of a red or purple colour, external, or 

 immer-e.l in the frond, and each enveloped in a pellucid (.kin which 

 at maturity nto f"nr x|K>rules. Some possess .-iiitl: 

 which are BUM with yellow corpuscle*. 



8. t'/<liii 'uariiip or fresh-water plants <f a 



green colour. The fructification in diy|'!>i-d through all parts of the 

 frond. The spores are green, formed within the .-. 11*. and often at 

 maturity having vibratile cilia. They produce also gemmules, or 

 exttrnal vesicles, which contain a dense, dark-coloured, granular mass, 

 which finally separates from the frond. 



