CORALLINES. 
143 
the middle ; pinna: close ; polype cils uniserial, tubular, with spinous 
apertures. (Sibbald.) 
Bohadsch says the Pennatidm swim by means of tbeir pinnae, which 
they use as fishes do then - fins. Ellis says, “ it is an animal that 
swims about in the sea, many of them haying a muscular motion as 
they swim along;” these motions being effected, as ho tells us in 
another place, by means of the pinnules or feather-like fins, “ evidently 
designed hy Nature to move the ani- 
mal backward or forward in the sea.” 
Cuvier tells us they have the power of 
moving by the contraction of the fleshy 
part of the polypidom, and also by the 
combined action of its polypes. Dr. 
C rant says, “ a more singular and beau- 
tiful spectacle could scarcely be con- 
ceived than that of a deep purple P. 
phosphorea, with all its delicate trans- 
parent polypi expanded, and emitting 
their usual brilliant phosphorescent 
light, sailing through the still and 
dark abyss, by the regular and syn- 
chronous pulsations of the minute 
fringed arni3 of the whole polypi;” 
while Linnseus tells us that “the 
phosphorescent sea-pens which cover 
the bottom of the ocean cast so strong 
a that it is easy to count the 
fishes and worms of various kinds which 
sport among them.” 
Lamarck, Schweigger, and other 
naturalists, however, reasoning from 
what is known of other compound animals, deny the existence 
° “la locomotive power in these zoophytes; “and there is little 
cu t, says Dr. Johnston, “ that these authors are right, for, when 
p aced in a basin of sea water, the Pennatulm aro never observed to 
change their position; they remain iu the same spot, and lie with the 
^ me SldS Up . ° r (lown ’ J ust as tL «y ha we been placed. They inflate 
ie body until it becomes to a considerable degree transparent, and 
T* ig. 61. Sea-pen, Pennatula spinosn. 
(Edes.) 
