56 



LIFE BY THE SEASHORE. 



from other Sertularians. Both do occur occasionally in the 

 Laminarian zone, but are most commonly found among the 

 shore wreckage. There their peculiar shapes have made them 

 both noticeable objects, and have given to the one the name 

 of " sickle-coralline " and to the other that of " bottle- 

 brush." So remarkable is the resemblance of the latter to 

 the object indicated in its common name, that people fre- 

 quently refuse to regard it as an animal production at all. 



First as to the "sickle-coralline" (Hydrallmania falcata). 

 It is a large form, reaching a height of a foot or more. Its 

 general appearance may be described in the 

 words of Sir John Dalyell as "a series of 

 feathers implanted in spiral arrangement round 

 a slender stem," but when dried the "feathers," 

 or "plumose branches," become curved or sickle- 

 like. The zooid-cups are placed on one side of 

 the pinnas only, a fact which makes the whole 

 zoophyte resemble the next family the Plumu- 

 Iarida3 rather than the other Sertularians. 

 Further, they are placed in clusters on each 

 joint of the stems, and are tubular in shape. 

 The "sickle -coralline" is a zoophyte which is 

 very likely to be mistaken for "seaweed." 



The "bottle-brush" (Thuiaria timid] cannot 

 be honestly described as anything but ugly. It 

 consists of a long naked stem with a small 

 "brush" at the top, and is of a dull brown 

 colour. It may attain a height of twelve 

 inches, but specimens of six to seven inches 

 are more common. The brush varies in size, 

 but not infrequently occupies about one-third 

 of the stem. As the stem grows and branches at 

 the top, the lower branches fall off, so that the 

 brush does not necessarily increase in size with 

 the growth of the colony. In consequence, further, 

 of this method of growth, the naked portion of 

 the stem shows throughout the scars where the 

 old branches have fallen off. The botanist will 

 rTifiaria a ^ once perceive the resemblance in method of 

 thuia. After growth to a tree-fern, or to many palms. The 

 cups containing the zooids are so sunk into the 



