62 THE OCEAN. 



called by the fishermen Cows'-paps, when simple, 

 and Dead-man's toes, when branched, the Alcyonium 

 digitatum of zoologists, is a more common example, 

 but of another tribe. It consists of a cartilaginous 

 mass, capable of contraction, studded with orifices, 

 whence project little stars ^vith eight rays, which are 

 the expanded tentacles of the small Polypes that 

 may be familiarly said to inhabit the hollows. That 

 beautiful production, the Eed Coral, with other 

 kindred forms, is also a compound Polype. These 

 have generally a solid stem, partaking of the nature 

 of stone, and branch out in imitation of shrubs. The 

 stony or horny centre is, however, clothed with 

 gelatinous flesh, in which hollows occur at intervals, 

 occupied by minute star-shaped Polypes. The warty 

 White Coral {Gorgonia verrucosa), not uncommon on 

 some parts of our coast, is of this structure, having a 

 stony skeleton ; but in the beautiful Sea-fan (Fla- 

 hellum Veneris), the skeleton shows more the texture 

 of bone, or perhaps of horn : it is black, but is 

 clothed with flesh of a yellow colour, or sometimes 

 purple. From the ramifications being A^ery numerous, 

 and uniting with each other at short intervals, like 

 the meshes of a net, this species is a very beautiful 

 one. Its polypes, as in the other instances, have 

 ein-lit tentacles. This is said to have occurred on 

 the British shores, but it cannot be considered as a 

 native. 



But more singular than either of these is the form 

 of a Polypidom, often brought up by fishermen, 

 attached to their baits, and by them called Cock's- 

 comb, or rather more appropriately, Sea-pen {Pen- 



