TUNICAR1ES. 225 



of individuals. When we see such paternal 

 care manifested for the welfare and main- 

 tenance in existence, of beings so frail, that 

 a mere touch would dissipate them, we cannot 

 but assent to the observation of the Psalmist, 

 that " His tender mercies are over all his works" 

 the least and most insignificant as well as 

 those that appear to occupy the most elevated 

 place in the animal kingdom : and we may feel 

 a comfortable assurance, built on this ground, 

 that the eye which regards even these seemingly 

 insignificant creatures, will, if we cast not off our 

 confidence, never overlook us, or be indifferent 

 to our welfare. 



The last and highest tribe, belonging to the 

 present class, are those which are never united 

 to each other, but are solitary in all stages of 

 their existence. These, as well as the preceding 

 ones, make a near approach to the real Mollus- 

 cans, at least their external and internal envelope 

 bears considerable analogy with that of bivalve 

 shells, as Lamarck acknowledges, though they 

 differ in having a distinct organization, the shells 

 of bivalves having neither apparent vessels nor 

 fluids, while, in these Tunicaries, the covering, 

 both external and internal, in some species, 

 exhibits vascular ramifications very conspi- 

 cuously. 



Though several of the animals belonging to 



VOL. I. Q 



