Mr, ellis on the Gorgonia , 13 
truth of what he afferts, he has fent me part of the ori- 
ginal fpecimen, of which- fig. 9. exhibits an exact repre- 
fentation. At a is a magnified figure of this alcyonium y 
on a piece of the branch of the fer tularin. It is of a 
flefhy fubftance with warts, having each twelve rays; 
we have many fpecies of alcyonia from the Weft Indies 
not much unlike this. The reader, by attending to the 
Doctor’s own defcription of his fertularia gorgonia , will 
foon be convinced. of the error, efpecially when he con- 
fiders, that the character of a fertularia is that of a 
branched animal, with the hard parts without, and the 
flefhy parts within ; and that the gorgonia , on the con- 
trary, hath its flefhy or foft parts without, and its bone or 
hard parts with in. - 
There is another eflentiai difference hitherto un- 
noticed, between the growth of the gorgonia and that 
of trees ; and that is, in the connexion between the fide 
branches and ftem of the one, and the lide branches 
and ftem of the other. The fide branches of vege- 
tables proceed from the pith; of courfe, when a ftem: 
and fide branch is divided length ways, the pith is feen 
continued through the main ftem into the branch, fee 
fig. 10. where a. is the natural fize of a fmall twig of 
the lime tree, and b. the fame magnified.. It muft be 
obferved, that in fome trees the channel or continuation 
of the pith which leads from the ftem to the fide branch, 
is very much contracted, and the communication very 
narrow; in which cafe it will be neceflary to make crols 
lections, which will foon dilcover the courfe of the pith 
from. 
