228 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



with the outer world by his constant correspondence 

 with naturalists in all countries ; especially John Ellis 

 in the West Indies, whom Kingsley speaks of as 

 measuring pens with Linne, the prince of naturalists. 



Corals, and especially the crinoids, were then par- 

 ticularly engaging Ellis's attention and his pen. 



' Look at the crinoids, or stalked star-fishes, the 

 " lilies of living stone," which swarmed in the ancient 

 seas, in such numbers that whole beds of limestone are 

 composed of their disjointed fragments ; but which have 

 vanished out of our modern seas, we know not why, till, 

 a few years since, almost the only known living species 

 was the exquisite and rare Pentacrinus asteria, from 

 deep water off the Windward Isles of the West Indies." l 



These discoveries of Ellis were taken in connection 

 with a tribute from Linnaeus's pupil Martin in Norway. 

 ' He was the first person who sent to Linngeus speci- 

 mens of Anomia ca/put serpaulis with the animals alive ; 

 which was a most gratifying present, for this species 

 had never been seen before except in a fossil state.' 2 



Linnseus's effervescent imagination gloated over the 

 visions Ellis's letters conjured up. What a link this 

 was bringing the antique world before him ! what 

 magic ! Life, everywhere life, from unimaginable gene- 

 rations, and stored up in preparation for the future; 

 every abyss sounded in sea and land arranged in zones, 

 Dantesque circles, 'according to the amount of light 



1 Kings! ey's Glavcws. 



2 A. K. Martin again visited Norway in 1758. 



