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the coral and madrepora. This phenomenon Mr, 
Trembley had difcover’d fome time before j and hav- 
ing put fome frefh collected coralline into a phial of 
fea- water, brought it to Goodwood ; where, after it had 
been fuffer’d to remain at reft a few hours, by the affifl- 
ance of a microfcope a great number of very frnall 
white polypes, exactly in form refembling the frefh 
water polype, but infinitely lefs, were feen to protrude 
themfelves from the inequalities of the coralline, 
each of which ferv’d as an habitation for a polype. 
When the water was ftill, thefe animals came forth, 
and mov’d their claws in fearch of their prey in va- 
rious directions ; but, upon the leaft motion of the 
glafs, they inftantly difappear’d ; as was the cafe of 
the coral- infeCt, defcribd by our author. 
But to return. The flefh of the animal of the 
madrepora is fo foft, that it divides upon the gentlefl 
touch. This foft texture prevented M. de Peyffonnel 
from detaching any one ; and he obferves, that there 
are in thofe feas feveral large fpecies of urtica, 
which become pappy upon the leaft touch. He men- 
tions one fort of above a foot in diameter, whofe body 
is as large as a man’s head, and which are of a poi- 
fonous nature. 
After the madrepora had been preferved three 
days, the animals therein cover’d its whole furface 
with a tranfparent jelly, which melted away, and 
fell to the bottom of the water as the animal died ; 
and both the water and madrepora then had a putrid 
fifhy fmell. After having deftroy’d and confum’d 
all the animals, the extremities of the madrepora 
became white. 
Imperatus 
