THE 



BRITISH CORALLINES. 



The Corallines are marine productions which grow in 

 profusion on rocks, shells, and, more rarely, on sea-weeds, 

 to which they are rooted by means of a spreading calcareous 

 crust ; and they rise up, to the height of a few inches at 

 most, in lichenoid or conferva-like tufts, dividing and sub- 

 dividing, from the base, into numerous branches and branch- 

 lets, having the same structure and appearance as the pri- 

 mary shoots. They are remarkably distinguished from other 

 algse by being covered over with a calcareous crust, which 

 is jointed at short and regular intervals, and conceals a cen- 

 tral axis of a decidedly vegetable nature. It has the sub- 

 cartilaginous texture of sea-weeds in general, and, when the 

 tissue is examined microscopically, appears to be fibrous ; 

 and, under a higher magnifier, to be composed of numerous 

 series of oblong cells arranged in close and intimate paral- 

 lelism. It is likewise constricted at intervals corresponding 

 with the articulations of the crust ; and as the fibrous struc- 

 ture is most evident in these constricted places, so it is also 



