ALCYONIUM. 



81. Madrepora granofa. 



Madrepora fuhramulofa criftata fubdigitata^ ramis obtufis^ 

 ambulacris omnibus acute carinatis undutatis, Jiellis acerofis 

 irregularibus. 



XV. ALCYONIUM. ALCYONIUM 



Animal plant & forma Is an animal growing in the 

 crefcens. form of a plant. 



Stirps fixa y camofa y ge- The ftem is fixt, and is ei- 



tatinofa^ Jpongiofa vet co- ther flefhy, gelatinous, fpon- 

 riacea. gy, or a leather-like fub- 



jftance; 

 Epidermis ceUutofa^ po- having an outward fkin full 

 ris Jiettatis feu of cutis per- of cells,, with ftar-like open- 

 tufa^ ings, or little mouths, which 



fend forth 

 Polypos tentacutatos ovi- Polype fuckers, through which 

 par os exferentibus. the eggs are produced. 



Formerly many of thofe irregular marine maffes, that 

 could not properly be reduced to any genus, were called 

 Alcyoniums ; and thefe were fuppofed by old authors to 

 be made up of the froth of the fea. Even in thefe more 

 enlightened times many errors have crept into their ar- 

 rangement, and feveral fponges have been very improper- 

 ly placed under this title, for want of attending to the 

 proper definition of the genus : for my part, I {hall con- 

 fider thofe only belonging to this genus -that- agree with 

 the foregoing charader, except one that is commonly 

 called Aicyonium Schlofferianum, which, though it is 



covered 



*7Z 



