THE GOBQONIDM 191 



at the same time. When the drag is pulled on deck, 

 tlie available coral is selected from the mass and 

 cleansed for sale. The occupation is a very laborious 

 one, more especially as it is pursued under the burn- 

 ing sun of the Mediterranean. 



Black coral, so called, is the stalk of a poly- 

 pier of another species, called the antipathos. The 

 polyps are very small, and have six tentaculae ; in the 

 middle of them is the only opening of the creature's 

 body, the internal texture of which is analogous to 

 that which we have already described as common to 

 polypi in general. It derives a certain commercial 

 value from the fact that, in drying, the centre and 

 hardened part of the st^ilk completely sheds the 

 corticiil envelope and the polypi attached to it. 



II. Gorgons of the old writers — Their animal nature discovered by 

 Peyssonncl, Trembley, and Bernard de Jussieu— The Fau 

 Gorgon — Its cosmopolitan character. 



The gorgons, so named by Pliny, were originally 

 taken, like other polypiers, for marine plants. Even 

 yet, we are not thoroughly acquainted with their 

 manner of life. By means of the microscope, the 

 naturalists of the last two centuries have been able 

 to demonstrate the existence of these polyps, which 

 uaa been legardeu as iiowers. PeyssunLol, i rembley. 



