116 



ALCYONIUM. 



to sight or touch. The scientific name of this 

 zoophyte is Alcyonium digitatum^ or the Finger- 

 shaped Alcyonium, and a representation of it 

 may be found in plate e, fig. 8, accompanied by 

 a magnified sketch of one polyp. 



In this and other zoophytes, the qualities, 

 fraternity and equality, are exhibited in a manner 

 far superior to any republic, ancient or modern ; 

 but there is very little liberty in the case. In 

 these curious creatures communism prevails to 

 its fullest extent, one for all and all for one. 

 There is one body, so to speak, the polypidom as 

 it is called, and from this body protrude, under 

 favourable circumstances, innumerable polyps, 

 each one gathering its nutriment from the sur- 

 rounding water, and conveying that nutriment 

 not to its own body only, and for its own aggran- 

 disement, but into the general polypidom., afford- 

 ing to each of its thousand relatives a portion of 

 its own nourishment, and receiving from each of 

 them some modicum of their own. 



When placed in clear sea-water, the alcyonium 

 soon begins to put forth a few crystalline 

 columnar polyps, each standing boldly out, and 

 bearing a mouth or head, composed of eight 

 radiating, slender, pointed petals, fringed with 

 delicate hairs. The internal anatomy of this 



