84 GORGONIA. 



This fpecies of Sea-Feather exceeds all the reft of tnis 

 genus both in neatnefs and elegance of form. It is found 

 near Sardinia, in the Mediterranean Sea, and grows to 

 two and three feet high. The fiefh is full of parallel 

 tubes, that grow clofe round the bone. In the younger 

 branches the bone is very brittle, and of a pale yellow 

 color ; as the number of layers increafe, the furface of 

 each layer has a mining pearl-like look, very like fome 

 kind of fea-fhells. See plate 2. fig. 4, 5. 



Tab, 13. g. Gorgonia lepadifera. Earnach-bearing Gorgon*. 



Fig. i. 



2 V Gorgonia. dichotoma y of- This Gorgon is dichoto- 



culis co?ifertis reflexis cam- mous : it is almoft covered 

 pa?iulatis imbricatis y came with mouths, which are placed 

 fquamulis albis obduSla^ clofe together, hanging over 

 offe in ramulis majoribus one another ; they are bell- 

 teftaceo, in minoribus cor- iriaped, bent downwards, and 

 neo. full of fmall fcales. The flefh 



is covered with minute whitifh 

 fcales. The bone in the larger 



O 



branches is teftaceous, or ra- 

 ther like bone, and in the 

 final ler ones horny. 



Tab. 13. Fig. i. 2. 



Plant a marina Refedce facie. Clufii Exot. p. T22. 

 Gorgonia lepadifera. Linn. Syft. Nat. Ed. 12. p. 1289, 



This Gorgonia is found on the coaft of Norway : the 

 fpecimen figured here was brought from Archangel, and 

 prefented to me by Dr. Solander. 



This very curious animal rifes ufually to eighteen 

 inches high. The heads and mouths bend downwards^ 



