CORALLINES. 67 



elegant and erect when in the sea, and when dry 

 become curved. They have been aptly compared to 

 the flower of the lily of the valley, having the 

 rims cut into eight equal teeth. 



" Each plume," says Lister, in reference to a 

 specimen of this species, " might comprise from 

 four hundred to five hundred polyps." Another 

 described by Dr. Johnson, of no unusual size, had 



SERTULAHIA PLUMA. 



twelve plumes, with certainly not fewer cells on 

 each than the larger number mentioned, thus 

 affording habitations to six thousand polyps. In 

 a specimen taken by Mr. J. D. Dana, in the East 

 Indies, there are about twelve thousand polyps 



