Peacock's Feather Coralline , See. 
T O what end fuch infinite variety of contrivance and' defign fhould embellifh 
the coral groves of the »cean, that are never vifited by man- Why fitch 
excellence of «ru6Jure fitch elegance of form, fhould have been beftowed on 
produfchons which lie fo remote, almoft for ever hid from rat.onal Ipectators ? 
Why difplays of art all-pervading infinite perfection, fhould be unfolding in the 
unfathomable receffes of the great and wide fea, and its deep inacceffible beds 
be paved with fabrics of fuch incomparable beauty ?— Thefe are mvttenes in the 
Divine Government and order of Providence, which we fhall never, here be able 
fully to explore. *' 
’Pis enough for us to have been rendered capable of revering the incompre- 
henfible fecrets that reign in the councils, which prelerve and beautify the uni- 
verfe. 1 
Although innumerable productions of the deep lie for ever hid from our view, 
yet, human curiofity has deviled variety of means of attaining rich ftores of thefe 
fubjefcts of admiration, wherewith the fubmarine regions teem ; and thereby feems 
to co-operate with fome great fcheme of Nature, gradually to unfold a perpetual 
care bellowed on thole wonderful forms of life, which by their novelty cheri/h a 
rational enthufiafm and delight. 3 
And it is no trivial reflexion, that by the capacities wherewith we are endued 
our extenfive connedion with the fyflem is fuch, that every form of beauty which 
adorns the earth, or embellifhes the depths of the fea, are rendered fubfervient 
to human entertainment, and minifter to our pleafure and joy. 
The principal coral of the Plate, whofe branches, with their cells, bear firon* 
refemblance to the cups and foliage of flowers, was part of a large mais dredged up 
in the North Seas; and being proteBed from external injuries durino the carriage 
and bringing afhore, by ftrong thick-wrought branches of the (amelpecies exlit 
bited on its furface variety of beautiful corallines and tender /hells which are 
not perhaps to be found in any other fituation. The thorny /hell A fo ele«antlv 
windmg round the coral, has not been heretofore accurately’ delineated, nor 
indeed at all figured among thofe of this northern ocean :_The fame obfervation 
feems applicable to feveral other fpecies wherewith the clutter abounds. 
The minute Shell and Coralline at b-i. and a little magnified at b b b and 
the beautiful incruftation formed by the fpreading cells c, c, demand particular 
notice in this relpeci, r 
Notwithftanding the elaborate refearch and inveftigations of the late iufily ce 
lebrated Mr. Ellis, and the immenfe variety of corals and corallines deferibed by 
him, innumerable orders of other forms feem to replenifh the depths of the ocean 
and are now and then occurring among the clutters, which fall 
nation here. 
unaer our exami- 
Many of the cells of the corallines, which form the highly ornamental encruf- 
tations of the coral, pretty nearly correfpond with feveral fpccies ofFtusxRv 
particularized and delineated by him, as at d, d, d, d j but that exceedingly 
; ° n the branch c c ; and highly magnified by careful mfpeafon 
Tuth the firft powers of the microfcope, at c, furely had never been met with by 
I i i ■/ 
him,. 
