110 



THE FARMERS CABINET: 



VOL. 1. 



living creature. The name given to these 

 Polypi is Flustra, and they are extremely 

 abundant on the sea-coast in every latitude. 

 Figures 24 and 25 are different species. 



A, fig. 24, is a piece of the Flustra of the 

 natural size, covering a sea-weed ; B is an 

 enlarged view of the cells ; and G the ani- 

 mal itself. 



Fis. 'J3. 



Fig. 54. 



Fig. 24. Flustra foUacea, Broad-leaved horn- 

 wrack. 



2.'5. pilosa. Prickly hornwrack. 



26. Chalky axis or centre of a coralline very 

 common on the English coast. 



Fig. 25. 



Fi?. 20. 



27. The great tooth-coralline, covered with 

 minuVe shells. 



28. The pitcher hornwrack, a native of the- 



Red sea. 



29. Animal of a Polypus very highly mag- 



nified. 



Fig. 27 



Fi" 2R. 



Fig. 29. 



The corallines appear to the naked eye, 

 from their branching form, and from being 

 fixed at the base to some other substance, 

 more like vegetable than animal productions, 

 and for a long time were known by the name 

 of Zoophites, thatis, animal plants, and were 

 considered as the link between animal and 

 vegetable life. 



The red coral of commerce, of which beads 

 and necklaces are made, is formed by an 



animal of the class Polypi ; but instead* 

 of this stony deposit Becoming a dwelling 

 place, in which its ingenious architect re- 

 treats for safety from outward injury, it 

 merely answers the purpose of a strong sup- 

 port, surrounded by a thifl Heshy atibstance. 

 in which a numerous tribe of minute Polypi 

 form their fragile dwellinss. 



In contemplating theslightand diminitive 

 forms of this curious portion of the animal 

 kingdom, we are apt to consider them as 

 acting some very subordinate part ; but the.- 

 geologist can inform us, that the united and 

 constant efforts of these specks of animation 

 have been productive of gigantic effecrts. A 

 great portion of the South Sea Islands have 

 their f^oundations formed of coral reefs; that 

 is, immense masses of different species of 

 corals and corallines, in which, in the first 

 instance, sea-weeds and other substances 

 became entangled ; as these rotted, a vegeta- 

 ble mould was produced ; the sea-birds Ub- 



