Atjg. 1, 1865.] 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



179 



grey creature of the element, it spreads rapid de- 

 struction around the place of its vegetation. It is 

 only from one to two inches in height, and is exceed- 

 ingly slender and delicate (figs. 7, 8). The vesicles 



Fig. 6. Sea Fir, magnified. 



Fig. 8. Lily Coralline, 

 magnified. 



have been compared to a lily or pomegranate flower 

 just opened ; but they seem to vary with age. It 

 sometimes grows on sea-weed and old shells, but 

 is far less graceful than when growing on kindred 

 zoophytes. 



Fig. 7- Lily Coralline. 



The Sea-oak Cokalline {Sertularia pumila) is 

 of a greenish colour, and occurs in considerable 

 abundance as a parasite on some kinds of sea-wrack 

 (figs. 9, 10), the common Fucus serratus being 

 invested by such quantities of it as almost to weigh 

 down the fronds near ebb tide. The shoots are 

 seldom more than half an inch in height, thread-like, 

 and sparingly branched. The animals have fourteen 

 or sixteen tentacles, and when these are displayed, 

 the hydra usually extrudes its body far beyond the 

 rim of the cell. 



There is also the Snail Trefoil Coralline {Ser- 

 tularia rugosd), which is found as a parasite on the 

 fronds of the "sea-mat," as well as sea-weeds. 

 Also the Sea-hair Coralline {Sertularia operctilata), 



which is common on all parts of the coast, growing 

 attached to sea-weeds (figs. 11, 12). It reaches 

 from three to six inches in height, and, after a storm, 

 lumps as large as a child's fist are washed ashore. 



^c-' 



Fig. 9. Sea-oak CoraHine. Fig. 10. Sea-oak, magnified. 



The slender brandies grow in tufts, like bunches of 

 hair. 



" It was from the great resemblance," says Dr. 

 Johnston, " of the vesicles to the capsules of mosses 

 that the early botanists drew an additional argument 

 in behalf of the vegetability of the corallines them- 

 selves." And a Darwinian might be, perhaps, for- 

 given, were he even now to feign how the Nereids 



Fig. 11. Sea-hair Coralline. Fig, 12. Sea-hair, magnified. 



stole them from the mossy habitats of Flora's winter 

 and vernal shows, to deck and gem the arbuscular 

 garnitm-es of their coral caves. 



Nymphs ! you adorn, in glossy volutes rolled, 

 The gaudy couch with azure, green, and gold. 

 You chase the warrior shark and cumbrous whale, 

 And guard the mermaid in her briny vale ; 

 Feed the live petals of her insect-flowers. 

 Her sheU-WTack gardens, and her sea-fan bowers; 

 With ores and gems adorn her coral ceU, 

 And drop a pearl in every gaping shell. 



The Sea-mat {Fhtstra foliacea) is by the Scottish 

 fishermen in their meagre vocabulary denominated 



N 2 



