SEA-FANS. 



3 OI 



people, even when generally well educated, know 

 little of what they are. If shown in a tank in the 



Fig. 232. 



Small portion of Gorgonia flabellum, showing pits in coenosarc, 

 occupied by Polypes. 



living state, this ignorance would vanish at their 

 first sight. In Gorgonia verticillaria the polypes are 

 arranged around the axis like the leaves of such a 

 verticellate plant as the common " goose grass " or 

 " cleavers," The species called pinnata, is not very 

 fan-like in shape, although there needs little effort 

 to see that it belongs to the sea-fans. We have 

 referred particularly to our British species because 

 we think it would be easier to domesticate them in 

 aquaria than foreign species. Some of them are not 



