VOL. XLVIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 493 



inner or fleshy part arises a large polype ; one of which occupies each of these 

 vesicles. 



Thus a coralline full of vesicles looks like a plant full of blossoms, which, after 

 they have arrived at their perfect state, fall ofF, with their capsules or vesicles, 

 and become new-detached animals, to provide for themselves ; in the same man- 

 ner as the falling seeds produce other plants. 



On examining this coralline, they found that the animals in the vesicles were 

 dead ; but immediately afterwards they had an opportunity of discovering the 

 vesicular polypes alive, in another coralline ; * which are described at fig. 6, and 

 at letter p as they appeared magnified. This species Mr. E. called the sea-oak 

 coralline, from its being most frequently found creeping on, and adhering to the 

 largest species of the quercus marinus, or sea-oak fucus. 



The vesicles of the denticulated coralline, letter e, are described as they ap- 

 peared full of spines at the top, and closed up, as at letter g. The vesicles of 

 the same species are more frequently found as described at i, where the spines 

 are not unfolded : from this appearance, he called it the pomegranate-flowering 

 coralline, because they nearly resemble the opening blossom of the balaustine, 

 or double flower of the pomegranate. 



The branches of this coralline are often observed to end in vermicular tubuli, 

 as at H, which are much of the same form with those it begins with ; so that 

 these animals can, and do, change their shapes, for the several ends and pur- 

 poses of their being ; and this in a most surprising manner. 



He had further an opportunity of examining some of those kind of corallines, 

 which he called celleferous, from their having rows of cells disposed in plant- 

 like ramifications. The small black spots in each cell^ which he had conjectured 

 before to be the embryo of a future testaceous animal, (Vid. Phil. Trans, vol. 

 48, tab. 6, p. 115) he found now to be the contracted bodies of dead polypes; 

 for they here saw some of these polypes -|- alive, and extending themselves out of 

 their cells, as at k, fig. 7 ; and on reviewing them, when they were dead, found 

 they made the appearance of blackish spots in each cell, as at l, fig. 7. So that 

 they had reason to suppose that this species of polypes that form these corallines, 

 do change into testaceous bodies. 



LXXXF. Extract of a Letter from Camillo Paderni, fCeeper of the Museum 

 Herculaneum, to Tho. Holies, Esq. Dated at Naples, ^pril 27, 1754. 

 p. 634. 



The place where they are digging at present, is under II Bosco di Sant' Agos- 

 tino, but a little distant from the royal palace at Portici. Its depth is 125 Nea- 



* Sertularia putnila. Linn. t Sertularia scruposa. Linn. 



