. G O R G O N I ' A. 77 



but that it belonged to, and fabricated, or rather pro- 

 duced, the horny part of the animal, as being both one 

 and the fame body. At that time one could not fo clear- 

 ly, for want of recent well-preferved fpecimens, judge 

 exactly whether thefe bodies v/ere compofed of one or 

 many animals. However, according to later obferva- 

 tions, this fpecimen clearly fhews, that the animal Gor- 

 gonia has with its tubes and mouths, in order to ftrengthen 

 and repair the broken part at B and D, covered over the 

 fide reticulated part with a new layer of flefli and bone, 

 continuing it in a femicircular form, thereby ftrengthen- 

 ing and connecting the upper and under parts of the ftem, 

 very different from any thing I have yet feen among ve- 

 getables. 



On the upper part of the fame Gorgonia, at C. is ftill 

 a more remarkable inftance of the growth of thefe ani- 

 mals. Here the animal having met with fome interrup- 

 tion in its growth, probably from fome impending rock, 

 it evidently has grown downwards., and fpread over its 

 own reticulated branches, fo as to have covered all their 

 openings. 



Who would expect, on the ftricteft view of the Gorgo- 

 nia, to find it cloathed with fcales of different forms ? 

 and yet the cafe is fo. Examine the mouths of the G. Pla- 

 comus and the G. muricata, and fee how well they are 

 defended by glaffy fpiculae ranged in order. View the 

 G. exferta and the G. verticillata, thefe we (hall find to 

 have remarkable fcales ; hut the G. lepadifera exceeds all 

 the reft in having its mouths fortified by fcales of vari- 

 ous fizes and fhapes, well adapted to protect thefe tender 

 parts. When we examine with the microfcope the fcales 

 that cover their, other flefhy parts, we find them flill of a 

 different fhape, fo that we are induced to think, from 



thefe 



