2 54 NATURAL HISTORY 
the alcyonium and the coralline. The alcyonium is of a middle 
nature betwixt the herbaceous and horny fubmarines ; its fubftance 
flefhy, and fometimes hard even to cartilaginous; fhapelefs at times; 
fometimes tubular ; generally inhabited by animalcules. Dr. Schlof- 
fer before-mentioned difcovered one of a curious make dredged up 
in Falmouth Harbour, September 1 8, 1755. The alcyonium was 
brown and thin, and was the ground in which the animals had 
placed themfelves in ranks, each in a rofe-like fhape, making a 
kind of border round the ftem of an old large fucus. The natural 
fize of the flowers (of which there are three placed flde by flde) 
may be feen Plate xxv. Fig. 1 ; one is magnified, as Fig. 11 ; each 
role had from five to twelve, but more generally eight leaves, each 
leaf an aperture in it, (as at a , Fig. 11.) which is luppofed to be a 
mouth ; in the centre there is an opening larger than the reft, 
within which, when the inclofed animal was alive, fomething like 
fibres were perceived to move ; whether this creature extends thole 
fibres to lay hold of the food which the waves throw in its way, 
muft be referred to future enquiry “. Somewhat different from this, 
though of the lame tribe, was an alcyonium which I found on a 
ledge called Careg-killas, in Mount’s Bay, where, as I was tumbling 
over the moveable rocks, I found one coated with a tranfparent, 
callous fubftance,. Ipread on fome rocks about fix inches, in one 
near two feet fquare at a medium : the coating was about the 
fixth of an inch thick ; the ground was dark green ; the flowers 
eonfifted of ten obtufe petals, which were of a vivid yellow 
green ; each petal was in two places pierced of the field (as the 
heralds term it) ; that is, had two fpecks in each (in this differing 
from the foregoing) which tranfmitted the colour of the field ; the 
flowers and ground together made fo pretty a piece of tapeftry, that 
one might be furpriled to find fuch colouring and workmanfhip 
hid, as it were induftrioufly, under a rock ; but the works of 
nature are every where well finifhed, and cannot be otherwife than 
exatft and beautiful in their degree. Part of this coating, with its 
rofes in their natural fize, may be feen Plate xxv. Fig. in. magni- 
fied, Fig. iv. Searching a little further I found a like congelation 
on another rock ; the ground of this was of a warm brown colour 
(fuch as the painters call Cologne earth) ; the petals of the flowers- 
were fliarp pointed, not always of the fame number, but from fix 
to twelve ; the flowers were radiated, irregular in fhape, as may be 
feen PI. xxv. F. v. magnified, F. vi. not pierced as in the foregoing, 
quite yellow, and on the brown ground looking like fo many afte- 
u It was fhewn me the day after it was dredg- part n. 1756, page 451, and is fuppofed to be a 
ed, and from a drawing then made, publiftied in non-defcript. 
the Phiiofophical Transitions, vol. XXXIX, 
riiks 
