ALCYONIDJE. 215 



off from either extremity, the animal retracts at that part, so as con- 

 tinually to expose a fresh naked portion of the axis ; hence we can 

 take out the axis entirely from its soft sheath, and we always find the 

 lower pinnae of the animal drawn up closely together, as if by the fre- 

 quent breaking of the base. These very delicate and brittle animals 

 seem to be confined to a small circumscribed part of the coast, which 

 has a considerable depth and a muddy bottom j and the fishermen ac- 

 customed to dredge at that place believe, from the clearness of the Vir- 

 gularise when brought to the surface, that they stand erect at the bottom 

 with one end fixed in the mud or clay. Miiller's specimens were like- 

 wise found on a part of the Norwegian coast with a muddy bottom. 

 The polyps much resembling those of the common Ldbularia digitata, 

 are long, cylindrical, transparent, marked with longitudinal white lines, 

 and have eight tentacula, which present long slender transparent fila- 

 ments or cilia on each of the lateral surfaces when fully expanded. The 

 polyps are easily perceived extending through the lateral expansions or 

 pinnae, to near the solid axis, where we observe two transverse rows of 

 small round white ova placed under each pinna, and contained within 

 the fleshy substance. These ova appear to pass along the pinnae, to be 

 discharged through the polyps, as in the Lobularia, Gorgonia, Caryo- 

 phyllea, Alcyonia, &c." 



ALCYONID^J. 



The family of the Alcyonium derives its name from Alcyone or 

 Halcyone, the daughter of Neptune and wife of Ceyx, who, hearing of 

 her husband's death at sea, cast herself into it ; and was, with her hus- 

 band, changed into birds of the same name, to keep the waters calm 

 while they sit in their nests of sea-foam for the space of seven, eleven, ' 

 or fourteen days. Thus Alcyon signifies kingfisher, or sea-foam. The 

 term Lobularia is sometimes applied to this family, but generally re- 

 jected from its botanical appellation. 



Alcyonium digiiatum, PI. V. No. 2. Its name is derived from its 

 fingered appearance ; the French call it Main de Mer, or " sea-hand," 

 the Germans Diebs/iand, or " thief's hand." Sometimes they are very- 

 small ; but when larger are named by the fishermen Cow's-paps, and 

 others, differing a little in form, Dead Mens Toes, or Dead Men's 

 Hands. Their spiculae are calcareous or siliceous crystalline, in the 

 form of a cross, toothed at the sides, and lie scattered through the 

 jelly-like mass. 



The cells occupied by the polyps are placed at the terminations of 

 canals which run through the polypidom, and which, by their union 



