G O R G O N I A. 



fifteen inches, and fometimes rather more, in a fan-like form ; 

 coloui' when dry greyifti-white ; bone of a texture between 

 horn and wood. 



Aktipathes. Shri'.bby, with ereci, alternate panicled 

 branches ; bone with flexuo'js ftriae ; f;efh thick and imooth ; 

 pores large and fcattcred. Palla", &c. ylntipalha, &C. Lo- 

 bel. Coralllum nigrum DwfcoriJis, ib. Lithophyicn tiigritm 

 arboreum, Tournef. jiccabaair pohon, Valcnt. 



Grows to the iieip:lit of two feet, and inhabits the Indian 

 and Mediterranean Teas. This is the black caral of tlie 

 ihops. 



NoBiLis. Dichotomous, the branches fomewhat taper- 

 ing ; flelh red, (lippery, and fcft ; the farface ipeckled with 

 numerous eight-valved, conic, and rather elevated, irregu- 

 larly difpofcd pores ; bone bright i-ed, iiriated, and (lightly 

 pimftured externally. S-_iand. arid Ellis, &c. Ifa Kolilis, 

 Linn. SyR. Nat. XII. i.Ictlrepora rubra, Linn. Sylt.Nat. X. 

 IJis Pallas. Corallum rubruni, Donat. Red coral, Elhs. 



The bone of this fpecies conftitutes that beautiful and 

 much efteemed marine pfoduciion, the red, or true coral of 

 the jewellers. The coral is a general inhabitant of the Me- 

 diterranean, Adriatic, and Red feas, and appears to be no 

 ivhere more abundant than in the fea about Marftilles, Cor- 

 iica, Sicilv, and tlie coiift of Africa, in the vicinity of Bar- 

 hary, the coral liflieries in thofe parts being carried on with 

 great fpirit, and proving highly lucrative. From the ob- 

 fervations of Donati, an author who has devoted much 

 attention to this curious fnbjedl; of enquiry, we underiland 

 that the fleih or exterior coating of the coral K of a red 

 colour, varying from bright to paler hues, the tint of which 

 is uniformly lefs brilliant than that of the l:one or coral 

 itfclf. The mod; prevalent colour of the bone is red, exhi- 

 biting all the travifitions from a pale rofe colour to line 

 fcarlet, and fometimes inclining to yellowifh or fine faffron. 

 The coral grows in a fln-ubbv form, and not unfrequently 

 in an inverted form, to tlie height of a foot or eighteen inche.<!, 

 Vvhich latter it rarely exceeds, nor is the ciixumference of 

 the largeft branches more than one inch. Externally the 

 furface is ftriated, more or lefs nodidous or v.arted, and the 

 fubftance when broken appearing compofed of a number of 

 concentric layers. The coral of this fpecies is equal in 

 hardnefs and durability to the moil compact marble, and 

 thefe material qualities; in addition to its beautiful texture or 

 grain, and colour, have contributed to render it valuable in 

 the eftimation of the world frorn the earlier ages, as we learn 

 from Pliny, and other writers of remote antiquity. At this 

 day the true coral bears a confiderable price throughout tlie 

 Eaft as well as in Europe ; its fuppofed medicinal vii tiies 

 have, however, fewer votaries at prefent than forinerly. 

 The polypes, by whicli the cells are occupied, are furniihed 

 each with eight arms or tentacula, in the centre of which the 

 mouth io fituated ; thefe arms are retractile, conlraft im- 

 • mediately on being touciied ; the cells or pores are tilled 

 with a white liquor, and the polypes are likewife white. 



Asci;r3. Paniculated, fiib-dichotomous ; llcm and 

 branches eomprciTed ; flefh calcareous ; marcrin porojs. 

 Gmel. Pailas, &c. Sea iviibw, Ellis. Epicorallvm virgulis 

 a.'atis, Petiv. 



Inh;'>bits the Atr.erican, and fome of the European leas : 

 . Ijeight nearly two feet ; bone roundifh, tapering to the ends, 

 and violet when recent. 



Ch.assa. Round, dichotomous, with long, thick, diva- 

 ricated, erecl branches ; fleflt thick, violet, with fmall pro- 

 minent, approximate, equidiftant pores ; boue daik brown 

 and horny. Sohnd. and Eilis. 



Native of the American Seas. 



PiNNATA. Rather compteSed and pinnated, with very 



■fimple comprefTcd branches ; flefh red with oblong pore;. 

 Linn. Palma pilag'ica, Theophr. I.hl^oxyloii, Brcyn. 



Grows to the height of from one to four fci t ; the 

 texture horny and brown, the branches yellowiih. Native 

 of the African and North feas. 



S.\KGUi>;oLENT.\. Deprelled, very ramofe, and pin- 

 nated ; ilefh yellow, with purple pores in double rows. 

 Pallas. Lithopkytum Jla-vum pundalum, Touri.cf. 



Native of the Atlantic and Mediterranean feas ; height 

 one foot. 



ViOLACEA. Rather deprtfied, with pinnated branches ; 

 flefh violet : nearly fquarc, with lomewhat prominent pores. 

 Pallas. Quercus n:arinp-, Theojdir. 



Inhabits the American feas, above a foot long, and 

 horny. 



SetosA. Round and pinnated, witli diffufe branches ; 

 flefil pnrpUth. AiiUpnlhes h'trfutum, Pon. Lithophytur,: , 

 Tournef. 



Grows to the heiglit of two feet ; very upright, and in- 

 habits the Mediterranean and American leas. 



Peteciiizaxs. Sub-dichototcous, very much branched, 

 with a yellow bifulcated flefli covered with red pores. Pal- 

 las. Gmel. &c. 



Native place unknown : bone horny, black, witli amber- 

 coloured raniifications. 



P-ectixata. Round, with parallel afcending f:r.v/_' 

 branches ; flefh red, with gibboas fcattered pores ; boiic 

 white, hard, and brittle. Gmel. 



Very rare, white, with red ilefli ; found in the Indian 

 ocean. 



Abiextixa. Ramofe pinnated ; fleih yellow, with roKS 

 of purple florets each fide ; bone horny and yellowifli. 

 Solant'.and Ellis. 



Native of the African fliores, and ft-ldom exceeds a foot 

 in height. 



Calycl'L.\T.\. Dichotomous and fabdivided, with erect 

 thick ramifications covered with truncated papillae ; ilcjh 

 cinereous, within purplilh ; cells large and cup-fnapcd ; 

 bene dark brown and honiy. Elhs. 



Inhabits the American leas. 



Briareus. Subramofe, round, thick; flefh pale or 

 whitifh within, externally cinertous ; bone compoied of 

 fmall purple glaffy needles, irregularly and clofely difpofed 

 longitudinally. Soland. and Elhs. 



Cells large, prominent, numerous, and irregularly dif- 

 pofed ; the fpecies inhabits the Weft Indies. 



Vextalina. Reticulated ; branches compreffed exter- 

 nally at the fides ; bark red. Gmel. Lilhoxylon reiifortne,. 

 &fr. Clifford Hort. Gorgonla vcntllabrum, Pallas. Fla- 

 bella marina, Rumpf. 



Black or brown ; the fpecies inhabits the Indian ocean. 



Reticulatv.m. Reticulated, branches with very clofe 

 fet round ramifications, and red tuberculated bark. 



Very ponderous, of a grey colour, and inhabits the Indian 

 ocean. 



Clatiirl's. Reticulated, woody; with round ramifica- 

 tions ; flefh fmooth with fimple pores. Pallas. 



Native place unknown ; about eight or ten inclics in 

 height, pale, with a thin r;ddilh-gix>v flefli. 



Flabellu.m. Reticulated ; branches compreffed inter- 

 nally ; flefli yellow. Gmel. Gorgonia, Pallas. Flalclhim 

 •veneris, Ellis. Frtitex mnriiiiis, Clufius. Froiitliporn, Bo- 

 nann. Keratophytum nliciilatum. Brown. Arhre de mer, 

 Rcchef. 



The bone is black, horny, and flightly ftriated on the 

 Lirger branches. 



Found adhering to various fubftances, and varying in 

 8 cok>i J 



