104 ISIS. 



X. I :S I S. ISIS, or JOINTED CORAL, 



Animal crefcem planted Is an animal growing in the 



forma. form of a plant \ 



Stirps lapidea y art'icu- whofe ftem is ftony and joint- 



laid) articulis Jlriis longi- ed : the joints are furrowed 



iudinaliter exaratis, Jub- longitudinally, and united to- 



jlantia fpongiofa vel cornea gether, in fome by a fpongy, 



connexis. in others by a horny fubftance. 



Caro mollior^ porofa It is covered over by a foft 



atque celiulofa, porous and cellular Belli, 



Ofculis polypiferis^ ten- full of little mouths, from 



iaculatiS) oviparis obducla, whence the polypes w 7 ith their 



claws come forth, through 

 whom the eggs are produced. 



This genus of Zoophytes is very nearly allied to the 

 Gorgonias, having a hard part within, which is the fup- 

 port or bone of the animal, and a fofter part without, 

 which is its flefli. This foft part is furnifhed with or- 

 gans that ferve both for nutrition and generation, Thefe 

 are its polype-like fuckers, which are contained in, and 

 extend themfelves from its cells, when in fearch of food. 



The difference between the Ills and Gorgon ia is this, 

 that the bony part of the Ills is jointed, which is not fo 

 in the Gorgonia. Thefe joints are an admirable con- 

 trivance of Nature, tofecure the brittle branches of thefe 

 animals from being torn to pieces. Without this, they 

 could not arrive to the height of which fome of them are 

 found, viz. of two or three feet : for by bending freely 

 to and fro with thefe foft joints, they eafily refill the vio- 

 lent motions of the fea. When the animals grow old, 

 their Items have no more joints, that part being then 



ftrong 



