342 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Zoophytes Coral lines. 



holes, but keep their tails firmly fixed, so that, 

 on the least alarm, they can precipitately retire 

 tinder the earth. Whatever fdod falls within 

 their reach, when thus extended, such as blades 

 of grass, or fallen leaves, they seem content with. 

 They retire very deep into the earth during 

 winter, but do not then become torpid. They 

 are very vigilant in avoiding such animals as prey 

 upon them. The mole, in particular, they avoi'l 

 by darting to the surface of the earth the instant 

 they feel the ground move. 



ZOOPHYTES, 



THESE, (another order of worms) hold a rank 

 "between animals and vegetables, most of them 

 taking root and growing up into stems and 

 branches. Some are soft and naked, and others 

 are covered with a hard shell. 



The corallines are composed of capillary tubes 

 whose extremities pass through a calcareous 

 crust, and open into pores on the surface. They 

 are entirely submarine, and from their branches 

 being finely divided and jointed, resembling 

 6ome species of lichen, they have, till late years, 

 been arranged by botanists with the cryptoga* 

 mous plants. In appearance they certainly ap- 

 proach very nearly to some of the vegetables; 

 but their calcareous covering alone is sufficient 



