144 



THE OCEAN WORLD. 



a rudimentary polypidom, furnished with very large polyps of a 

 whitish colour. 



IV. THE ALCYONARIA PROPER. 



The beings which compose this group have the fleshy polypidom 

 always adherent, without axis or solid interior stem. They are divided 

 into four families or tribes. One of these, the Gornularia, are zoo- 

 phytes, and live in isolation, or gathered together in small numbers on 



the surface of a common membraniform 

 expansion. The Cornularia cornucopia 

 live on the coast of Naples, C. crassa on 

 the Algerian coast. Other genera make 

 their appearance on the coast of Scotland, 

 of Norway, in the Eed Sea, and in the 

 Indian Ocean they appear in great num- 

 bers. 



In the Alcyonaria, properly so called, 

 the polypidom is very thick, of a semi- 

 cartilaginous consistence, granular, and 

 rough to the touch. 



The genus Alcyonium is numerous in 

 species and widely dispersed. A. digitatum 

 is very common on our coasts, and on 

 many parts of the coast scarcely a stone 

 or shell is dredged up from deep water 

 which does not serve as a support to some 

 one or more species of Alcyonium. It is 

 known by various popular names by our 

 sea- side population, such as cow's paps, 

 from its resemblance to the teats of the 

 cow dead mans fingers, from the occa- 

 sional resemblance of its finger-like lobes 

 to a man's fingers. 



The polypidom is a simple obtuse process, the outer skin of which 

 is tough and coriaceous, studded all over with star-like figures, which 

 on examination are found to be divided into eight rays, indicating the 

 number of the polyps enclosed in its transparent vesicular membrane. 

 It is dotted with minute calcareous grains, and marked with eight 



Fig. 65. Veretillum cynomorium 

 (Lamarck). 



