208 
LECTURE xn. 
fleshy coat or bark, of a red-lead colour, and beset 
with numerous small warts, from each of which 
proceeds a head of the general polype or animal 
part : those heads are divided into eight parts or 
arms, and, (as I had occasion before to observe), 
induced Count Marsigli to suppose that they were 
the flowers of the Coral. The red Coral, like m.ost 
of the other Gorgonim, is first produced from a 
small egg. The eggs of this Zoophyte being dis- 
charged by the. Polypes, fall on the rocks and at- 
tach themselves by their glutinous moisture, and 
when fixed begin to grow. Before the Coral is 
excluded from the egg it is quite soft, and has no 
appearance of the bony part j but when it has 
grown to the height of about the eighth of an inch, 
it assumes the hardness of bone, and begins to mul- 
tiply its polype-heads, and to form new branches. 
I should here observe that Linnseus somewhat im- 
properly placed the Red Coral in the genus Isis, 
under the name of Isis nobilis. 
The genus Isis differs from that of Gorgonia in 
being of a jointed fabrick, instead of being com- 
posed of continued branchings. It is of a stony 
hardness, but the joints are of a horny nature, or 
much softer. The whole Coral is covered with a 
