55 



by the mouth, as in the Alcyonium. According to Dr. 

 Johnston, Spix figures the ova united into a bead-like string, 

 which, from their manner of formation is impossible. In 

 this respect also, the figure of the reproduction of the 

 Hydroidas given by Jones in his " Outlines of the Animal 

 Kingdom" is erroneous. 



Though this order can boast but of very few native spe- 

 cies, yet further observations will probably find that several 

 have been confounded under one name. 



It has been remarked above that no specimen of the 

 Family of Pennatulidce, or Seapens has yet been found in our 

 seas ; as however an instance has occured in Devonshire, I 

 here add the family and generic characters to enable ob- 

 servers on the different parts of our shores, to detect them if 

 any should be taken. 



PENNATULID/E. 

 "Polype-mass free, pennated, carnous, the skin spiculiferous ; 

 axis bony, simple continuous : Polypes arranged along the mar- 

 gins of the pinna." 



PENNATULA. 



Generic Character: " Polype-mass free, pluvious, the shaft 

 sub-cylindrical, naked beneath, pennated above ; pinnae two- 

 ranked, spreading, flattened, and poly piferous along the upper 

 margin." 



VIRGULARIA. 



Generic Characters Polype-mass free, linear-elongate, sup- 

 porting, towards the upper extremity, sessile lunate lobes em- 

 bracing the stem obliquely, and bearing a row of cells on their 

 margins." 



GORGONIADJ3. 

 Polype-mass fixed, arborescent, the axis covered with a 

 thick cretaceo-gelatinous celluliferous crust; polypes scattered 

 over the whole surface. Johnston. 



GORGONIA. Linnaeus. 

 Generic Character: Polype-mass rooted, arborescent, con- 

 sisting of a central brown horny axis, with an external 

 yellow fleshy crust, warty, bearing the polype cells. 



WARTED SEA FAN. G. Placomus. " Irregularly 

 branched, the branches disposed in a dichotomous order 

 and a flattish form, cylindrical, warty ; cells protuberant, 

 conical, surrounded at top by little spines." Ellis. PI. 12, 

 fig. 2. 



Warted Sea Fan, Ellis' Coral., p. 67, no. 1, pi. 27, figs, a A, 

 1, 2, 3. Gorgonia placomus, Ellis and Solander's Zooph., 

 p. 86. Turton's Lin., vol. 4, p. 645. Stewart's Elem., vol. 2, 

 p. 430. Fleming's Brit. An., p. 512. Johnston's Brit, 

 Zooph., p. 183, pi. 25, fig. 2. 



