160 ANTHOZOA ASTEROIDA. 



which they use in the same manner that fishes do their fins. Ellis 

 says it " is an animal that swims freely about in the sea," " many of 

 them having a muscular motion as they swim along ; " and in ano- 

 ther place he tells us that these motions are effected by means of the 

 pinnules or feather-like fins, " these are evidently designed by 

 nature to move the animal backward or forward in the sea, con- 

 sequently to do the office of fins." Phil. Trans, abridg. xii. 42. 

 Pallas adopted, with some reservation, (Misc. Zool. p. 177,) the opi- 

 nion of Bohadsch ; but Bosc, in an effort to be original, fancied that 

 these remarkable zoophytes lay during the winter at the bottom, 

 concealed among sea-weed and in the crevices of rocks, while in sum- 

 mer they often swam at the surface ! Cuvier tells us that they have 

 the power of moving by the contractions of the fleshy part of the 

 polypidom, and also by the combined action of its polypes ; and, to 

 adopt the words of Dr. Grant, " a more singular and beautiful spec- 

 tacle could scarcely be conceived, than that of a deep purple Pen. 

 phosphorea, with all its delicate transparent polypi expanded and 

 emitting their usual brilliant phosphorescent light, sailing through 

 the still and dark abyss by the regular and synchronous pulsations 

 of the minute fringed arms of the whole polypi." And Bohadsch 

 asserts that he has been a witness of this spectacle. " Deget nostrum 

 Zoophyton in altiori mari, ubi interdum cum aliis piscibus capitur. 

 Dum versus maris superficiem fertur, bullulae innumerse corpus ejus 

 circumdant, quae stellarum instar de die splendent ; id quid em non 

 hac occasione, sed anno 1749, dum Liburno Marsiliam versus per 

 mare proficiscerer, observavi. Quo tempore in historia naturali mi- 

 nime versatus corpus bullulis nitens ad quatuor circiter pedes infra 

 superficiem maris conspiciens e nautis qusesivi, quidnam rei esset ? 

 qui Pennam esse pro response dedere." An. Mar. p. 107. Linnaeus 

 had therefore some grounds for inserting the " phosphorescent Sea- 

 Pens, which cover the bottom of the ocean, and there cast so strong 

 a light, that it is easy to count the fishes and worms of various kinds 

 sporting among them" amongst the most memorable productions in 

 Nature. See Smith's Tracts relating to Nat. History, p. 43. But 

 some authors, as Lamarck and Schweigger, reasoning from what is 

 known regarding other compound animals, have denied the existence 

 of this great locomotive power in a zoophyte placed so low in the 

 scale, as contrary to every analogy, and not necessary to the existence 

 or wants of the animal. And there is little doubt these naturalists 

 are right, for, when placed in a basin or plate of sea-water, the Pen- 

 natulre are never observed to change their position, but they remain 



