198 LECTURE XII. 



with great eagerness, but swallows it slowly, in the 

 same manner as a snake swallows any small qua- 

 druped. The arms of a Polype, when microsco- 

 pically examined, are found to bear a general re- 

 semblance to those of the Sepiae or Cuttle-Fishes, 

 being furnished with a vast number of smalt or- 

 gans, which seem to act as so many suckers or ace- 

 tabula, by which means the animal can hold a 

 worm, even though but slightly in contact with 

 one of its arms ; but when on the point of swal- 

 lowing its prey, it then makes use of all the arms 

 at once, in order the more readily to absorb it. 



The number of Zoophytes is extremely great, 

 and the major part are of an appearance so much 

 resembling vegetables, that they have been gene- 

 rally considered as such j though the horny and 

 stony appearance of several of the tribe, at first 

 view declare them to be of a widely different na- 

 ture from the generality of plants. In others 

 however the softness of their substance, and their 

 ramified manner of growth, would immediately 

 lead any one unacquainted with their real nature 

 to suppose them vegetables. The hard, horny, or 

 stony Zoophytes are in general known by the 

 name of Corals 3 and of these there are several ge- 



