DEAD MAN'S FINGER. 73 



upon it. A specimen of the Dead-man's finger, 1 of noble 

 dimensions, has selected this shell as the seat of its 

 dominion ; and we can discern the three or four great 

 lobes of which it consists all surrounded by the gauzy 

 cloud that tells of the thousands of translucent polyps 

 projected from every part of its periphery. Fine as is 

 that specimen, however, there are scores of others, many 

 of which are of equal dimensions, and more easily ac- 

 cessible. By the aid of the hammer and cold- chisel, 

 we may easily secure a specimen without harming it, 

 after searching a while to select one which is seated on 

 some projection of the rock that can be struck off. 

 Thus removed, and at once transferred to one of our 

 collecting jars, the curious compound animal will in 

 captivity display its beauties, though, it must be con- 

 fessed, it is often rather bashful before company. The 

 lobes into which the mass is divided are sufficiently like 

 stumpy fingers to have given it a popular designation, 



.rence. Thus, Dr. Kemmerer, of Re, covers a number of tiles with a coat- 

 ing of a kind of mastic, brittle enough to enable him to detach the small 

 oysters from it. When this coating is well covered with seed he gets it off 

 all in one piece, which he carries to the place where the seed is to grow. 

 The same tile he coats a second time, and so on as long as the seed will 

 deposit upon it. In short, wherever the violence of the currents and the 

 instability of the bottom do not present irresistible obstacles the cultiva- 

 tion of the oysters has become a lucrative business. 



i Alcyonium digitatum, for which see Plate VII. It is the white object 

 near the middle of the picture, partly concealed by the intervening leaf of 

 green Ulva. 



