7 o G O "R G O N I A. 



be called the perioftium ; for all along that fide of thofe 

 tubes by which they adhere to the bony part, I could 

 difcover the pores very plainly from whence the juices 

 flow, that fupply it with proper materials to anfwer this 

 great end. It is to thefe longitudinal tubes, that the 

 bony parts of thefe animals owe their ftriated or channelled 

 appearance, when they are ftript of their flefh, particu- 

 larly the red Coral, the verticillated Sea-Feather, and 

 many others ; but more remarkably in their kindred ge- 

 nus the Ilis, particularly that fpecies, called the Ifis Hip- 

 puris, or black and white jointed Coral, as I fliall fhew 

 hereafter. 



I fliall now proceed to relate the federal obfervations 

 that I have made on them, from time to time, and en- 

 deavour to anfwer the arguments that have been advanced 

 by late writers to prove their being of a mixt nature ; 

 that is, that they are animals 5 vegetating in the manner 

 of plants with flowers, bark, and wood. As to their 

 firft beginning, thefe animals produce their eggs through 

 their polype-like mouths, as I have fhewn in the direc- 

 tion of the Alcyonium manus marina ; Phil. Tranf. 

 Vol. 53. tab. 20. fig. 11. 



In all the fpecimens which I have received preferved in 

 fpirits, I have found eggs ; but after thefe eggs are pro- 

 duced, the manner of their firfl: growing has only been 

 obferved by Donati, (fee Phil. Tranf. Vol. 4.7". pag. 104. 

 tab. 3. fig. HI KL) who examined them alive at the fea- 

 fide. He fays, 



" Whilft the firfl cellule is {hut up, or the egg of the 

 cc Coral is in its fubftance, we do not find any one hard 

 C£ part in it like bone or marble ; it is all foft : but af- 

 £C terwards, when the cellule opens, we begin to ob- 

 " ferve fome hard lamellae ; and when it is grown bigger, 



££ and 



