142 ON THE SICILIAN COKAL FISHERT, 



incases them except the mouth. It' n brarrch of coral newly 



gat!^,ered is immersed in a vessel full of sea water, these animals 



are perceived issuing fron:i the stellated holes, their mouths ' 



gradually appearing first, and then their silklike arms extend, 



in this manner putting on the appearance of octopetaious 



flowers, by which the ingenious count Marsiili was deceived. 



The multiplication of polypi, of which I have treated, ex- 



^ plains admirably the arboraceous form of coral, as also the 



increase of the branches detached from the trunk. I have 



Black coral? of before me a fine specimen of the anliphates, the black coral of 



the ancients, ^j^^ ancients, in which the extremity of a branch has united 



with the principal trunk, and the polypi are seen bedded in it. 



Classification Ywm what we have seen, I think the term zoophyte inan- 

 «f coral. 1- .1 , . . . , ^ -^ ^ 



plicable to coral ; it is neither an aniujai plant, nor a plant 



animal : Nor can it be called a zoolite ; as it is certainly not a 

 stony animal. It is with more propriety apolipaio ; which, on 

 accou^it of its form, and to distinguish it from the other analo- 

 gous works of polypi, might be called po/ipaio de?;droide. lu 

 -using this nomenclature, we must be careful not to adopt the 

 false idea, that the polipaio resembles a wasp's nest ; the wasps 

 may at will leave their nest, but the polipaio is a part of the 

 animal, from which it cannot be detached. Thus \he polipaio 

 detidroide is an accumulation of ramified polypi, incorporated 

 with the solid substance, in the same manner as the shell of 

 some animals and the bones of others. The above erroneous 

 opinion cannot be entertained by any one, who observes, that 

 in coral the gelatinous membrane of the polypus is continued 

 into the solid earthy part, the same as in bones. Herissant has 

 already pointed out this mistake. 

 suppo^stTtobe ^^ '^ *° ^® inferred from the analogy of coral with bone, that, 

 progressive, as it does not arrive at once at a state of maturity, but by 

 degrees, its hardness must also be progressive. However pro- 

 confirmed by bable this idea may be, it has not been confirmed by expe- 

 experience. rience. I have particularly remarked the small quantity of 

 iron obtained in the analysis of the red coral, I have always 

 found it combined with the gelatinous animal substance -in the 

 state of oxide. Not to extend this paper too much, I shall 

 The colour of omit the results of various experiments I have madej but they 

 coral ascribed j^-^ye led me to conclude, that the ferruginous substance is 

 «f von. ^ phosphate of iron^ that is^ the oxide of iron united with phos- 

 phoric 



