[ 59° 3 



ZOOPHYTES*. 



THE creatures that are ranked under this order 

 seem to hold a middle station between animals 

 and vegetables. ' Most of them, deprived altogether 

 of loco-motion, are fixed by stems that take root in 

 crevices of rocks, among sand, or in such other situa- 

 tions as nature has destined for their abode : these 

 by degrees send off branches, till at length some of 

 them attain the size and extent of large shrubs. 

 The Zoophytes are usually considered under two 

 divisions. The stony branches of the first division, 

 which has the general appellation of Coral, are hol- 

 low, and full of cells, the habitations of animals resem 

 bling Polypes, Medusa:, &c. according to their re- 

 spective genera. They consist of the Tubipores, 

 Madrepores, Millepores, and Cellepores; 

 and are nearly all confined to the ocean. The ani- 

 mals appear at the ends of the branches, where 

 they have somewhat the resemblance of animated 

 blossoms endowed with considerable spontaneous 

 motion. The stems of some of the Millepores are 

 almost solid, the cells being so extremely small as to 

 be scarcely visible without high magnifying powers. 

 Among these is the Millepcra Polymorpha, or Offici- 

 nal Coral of the shops. 



* This is the fourth of the Linnean orders of Worms-. 



