ZOOPHYTES. 



263 



from six to ten inches, and is like a quill, stripped 

 of its feathers. 



But quitting rarer for familiar objects, we must 

 proceed to that common zoophyte of our coast, 



iamiliarly called Dead Men's Fingers, or Dead 

 Men's Toes, because it is sometimes found divided 

 into lobes somewhat re- 

 sembling those parts of 

 the human frame. The 

 Alcyonium digitatum is 

 very often a shapeless 

 mass, and sometimes a 

 mere crust on an oyster 

 shell. It is of a deep 

 orange-colour, with a 

 tough, leathery skin, 

 filled inside with a jelly- 

 like substance. Its first 

 appearance is rather 

 uninviting, the more 

 especially as, even in its 

 fresh state, its odour is 

 most disgusting ; yet if 

 we take it home, and 

 place it in a tumbler of sea-water, we shall soon 

 become not only reconciled to it, but filled with 

 admiration at its beauty. Gradually, the mass 

 imbibes the fluid, and swells to a larger size; 

 and, looking down closely upon it, we find its 

 surface thickly scattered over with starry figures, 

 divided into eight rays, from which emerge the 

 eight tentacles of each polype, all moving about 

 with great activity, and forming a most beautiful 

 assemblage of animal-flowers, arranged round a 



