246 ENTOMOLOGY. 



others resembling snails, and not above two inches 

 long.* 



Marine Zoophytes. 



The small polypi produce all those marine sub- 

 stances formerly called zoophytes, from a notion that 

 they partook both of the animal and vegetable na- 

 tures, including corals, corallines, madrepores, mille- 

 pores, sponges, &c. It has been repeatedly found 

 in the West Indies, that wrecks become wholly co- 

 vered with madrepores and other corals, within 

 three quarters of a year. 



Sponge. 



The true character of sponge is that of a living, 

 inactive, gelatinous flesh, supported by innumerable 

 cartilaginous or corneous fibres or spiculae. The 

 principal criterion of their animal nature is their 

 odour in burning. No polypi are seen to issue from 

 sponges, and the only sign of life they exhibit is a 

 slight and hardly perceptible contraction and shrink- 

 ing, when they are torn from their situation. After 

 death, the animal jelly dissolves, and is removed, 

 and the fibrous basis alone remains. 



Ants. 



Ants feed on both animal and vegetable substances, 

 and, if left at liberty, will pick the bones of any dead 

 animal, until they have rendered it a naked skeleton, 

 by which expedient good skeletons of frogs, snakes, 



* Are all, or any of these coral worms? This subject has as 

 yet been but superficially investigated, considering its curiosity 

 and importance. Whence do these minute creatures procure 

 the inexhaustible store of calcareous matter for the construction 

 of their enormous edifices, to which, in magnitude, the pyramids 

 of Egypt are as grains of sand? Apparently, from the decora- 

 position of the calcareous salts of the ocean ; yet it is well 

 known, the quantity of carbonate of lime in sea-water is trifling. 



