142 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



with intercepted lines of red, which distend at one place and contract 

 at another ; they spread out the pinnge, and the polyps expand their 

 tentacula, but they never attempt to swim, or perform any process of 

 locomotion." 



P. mirabilis is common in the east and north coasts of Scotland. 



The virgularias differ from the pennatula chiefly in their develop- 

 ment, relative to the axis of the colony and the shortness of the pinnae, 

 which carry the polyps ; and in this, that no spiculse enter into the 

 composition of its softer parts. V. mirabilis is found in the North 

 Sea, on the coast of Scotland, and as far north as Norway. In Zetland 

 it is known as the sea-rush. It is abundant in Belfast Lough, but, 

 from its brittle nature, perfect specimens are difficult to obtain. 



" It seems," says Sowerby, " to represent a quill stripped of its 

 feathers. The base looks like a pen in this as in other species, 

 swelling a little way from the end, and then tapering. The upper 

 part is thicker, with alternate semicircular pectinated swellings, larger 

 towards the middle, tapering upwards, and terminating in a thin bony 

 substance, which passes through the whole extent, and is from six to 

 ten inches in length." 



In a communication to Dr. Johnston, from Mr. E. Patterson of 

 Belfast, commenting on Miiller's figure of Virgularia, he tells us 

 that in the longest specimen he had, no two plumes were precisely 

 alike so unlike, indeed, that the artist copying one, could not for a 

 moment hesitate, after raising her eyes from her paper, to look at the 

 animal, as to which she was copying. 



Its short waving and deeply dentated wings are of a brilliant yellow. 

 The polyps, which appear upon their lobes, are whitish, transparent, 

 and form a fringe of small diaphanous white stars (Figs. 62 and 63 /. 

 We may figure to ourselves a slender wand-like and much-elongated 

 polypidom, carrying only a non-contractile polyp on one side, which 

 would give us an idea of the Pavonaria, of which we know only one 

 species, which is from the Mediterranean. 



Virgularia mirabilis is undoubtedly one of the finest polypicloms 

 found in the ocean. Two series of half-moon shaped wings, obliquely 

 horizontal, are placed symmetrically round an upright axis. They 

 embrace the stem somewhat in the manner termed petiolate by bota- 

 nists, clasping it alternately ; or, shall we say, like two broad ribbons 

 rolled round a stem in an inverse direction, in such a manner as to 



