260 FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



are formed before the young polypi appear in the 

 cells at the end of the growing branches ; as they 

 move independently of the polypi, and do not ap- 

 pear to be in any way connected with them ; and 

 as they differ in size on the outer and inner rows 

 of cells, I have little doubt that, in their functions, 

 they are related rather to the homy axis of the 

 branches than to the polypi in the cells. The 

 fleshy appendage at the lower extremity of the 

 sea-pen (described at Bahia Blanca) also forms part 

 of the zoophyte, as a whole, in the same manner as 

 the roots of a tree form part of the whole tree, and 

 not of the individual loaf or flower-buds. 



In another elegant little coralline (Crisia'?), each 

 cell was furnished with a long -toothed bristle, 

 which had the power of moving quickly. Each of 

 these bristles and each of the vulture-like heads 

 generally moved quite independently of the others, 

 but soinetimes all on both sides of a branch, some- 

 times only those on one side, moved together coin- 

 stantaneously ; sometimes each moved in regular or- 

 der one after another. In these actions we appa- 

 rently behold as perfect a transmission of will in the 

 zoophyte, though composed of thousands of distinct 

 polyj)i, as in any single animal. The case, indeed, 

 is not different from that of the sea-pens, which, 

 when touched, drew themselves into the sand on 

 the coast of Bahia Blanca. I will state one other 

 instance of uniform action, though of a very differ- 

 ent nature, in a zoophyte closely allied to Clytia, 

 and therefore very simply organized. Having kept 

 a large tuft of it in a basin of salt-water, when it 

 was dark I found that as often as I rubbed any 

 part of a branch, the whole became strongly phos- 

 phorescent with a green light : I do not think I 

 ever saw any object more beautifully so. But the 

 remarkable circumstance was, that the flashes of 



