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The Mttseum Gazette 



attain the size of a tree, and to be of strength sufficient to tear 

 the fishermen's nets. All the Gorgonidae grow in deep water. 



The Gorgon -corals belong to the order Alcyonaria, and their 

 individual polypes are characterised by eight tentacles (octocovalla) 

 which are fringed on their sides. These vary as to sex, and 

 sometimes both sexes occur on the same stem ; at others one 

 sex is found alone on the stem. Thus we have a parallel with 

 monoecious and dioecious plants. 



No. VII. — The Sea-Cypress. 



This plate represents an object which will be recognised 

 at once by almost all our readers — one of the so-called 

 " Corallines " so commonly seen at the seaside growing on 

 oyster-shells and the like. There are many species of them, 

 and the one here given is that known as the Sea Cypress 

 (Sevtularia cupressina). The central figure (fig. i) represents a 

 coralline with its branches, &c, of natural size, and on both 

 sides of it are seen portions of it moderately magnified (fig. 2). 

 This latter is seen to be a stem with joints and side branches. 

 Both stem and branches are covered with little cups showing 

 spine-like teeth at their edges. These cups are found on both 

 sides of both stems and branches. On the upper surfaces of 

 some of the branches (on the right hand of the plate), are 

 shown structures like little urns, each with a footstalk, which 

 curves downwards to pass into one of the cups. A careful 

 inspection of fig. 1 (natural size) will make it evident that 

 in this also the urns are shown, and that they do not occur on 

 all the branches. 



This beautiful structure, although looking so much like a 

 plant, is not a vegetable, nor does it approach so nearly to one 

 as to deserve the name of "zoophyte." It consists of animals 

 of simple organisation, and living in society, that is, in a 

 colony. To each separate animal (one for each cup) the 

 name polype is applicable, and the stem with its branches 

 upon which the polypes are borne, is the polypidom. The 



