CRISIAD^. 227 



full health and vigour, with all the beautiful polyps protruded and 

 expanded to the utmost, on the watch for prey. It seems to me as 

 poor a thing to strain one's eyes at a microscope over a dead and dry 

 polypidom, as it does to examine a shrivelled and blackened flower 

 out of a herbarium ; though I know well that both are often indispen- 

 sable for the making out of technical characters. But if you want to 

 get an insight into the structure and functions of these minute animals, 

 or if you would be charmed with the perception of beauty, or delighted 

 with new and singular adaptations of means to an end, — or if you desire 

 to see vitality under its most unusual, and yet most interesting phases, 

 — or if you would have emotions of adoring wonder excited, and the 

 tribute of praise elicited to that mighty Creator who made all things for 

 his own glory, — then take such a zoophyte as this, fresh from the clear 

 tide-pool, take him without inflicting injury ; therefore detach with 

 care a minute portion of the surface-rock, and drop your prisoner, with 

 every organ in full activity, into a narrow glass cell with parallel sides, 

 filled with clear sea-water, and put the whole on the stage of the mi- 

 croscope, with a power of not more than 100 linear, at least, for the 

 first examination. I greatly mistake if you will not confess that 

 the intellectual treat obtained is well worth — ay, ten times more than 

 worth — all your trouble." 



CRISIAD^. 



The Crisiadce, signifying a separation, are generally- parasitical. 

 Crisia comuta, or GoaCs-horn Coralline of Ellis, have the cells linked 

 in a single series, as well as G. chdoeta, or BulVs-horn Goralline; the 

 latter look like a number of shoes that come close to the ancle, joined 

 by the toe-part to the heel of others. Ellis says : " This beautiful 

 coralline is one of the smallest we meet with. It rises from tubuli 

 growing upon fuci, and passes from thence into sickle-shaped branches, 

 consisting of single rows of cells, looking when magnified like bull's 

 horns inverted, each one arising out of the top of the other. The upper 

 branches take their rise from the fore-part of the entrance of a cell, 

 where we may observe a stifle, short hair, which seems to be the begin- 

 ning of a branch. The opening of each cell, which is in the front of 

 its upper part, is surrounded by a thin circular rim ; and the substance 

 of the cells appears to consist of a fine transparent shell or coral-like 

 substance." 



Grida eburwM, or Tufted-Ivory Corcdline, attains the height of an 

 inch, and displays its beautiful white, bushy tufts, with often a dash of 

 light-red intermingled. Its cells are loosely aggregated, cylindrical, 



