3i)8 
ZOOPHYTA.- 
-KADIATA.- 
-Anthozoa. 
known by the name of the Girdle of Venus {Cestum 
Veneris) a native of the Mediterranean, 
Order III.— CIRRHIGKADA. 
This order of Acalephs contains a number of animals 
the body of which is almost membranous, oval, or 
circular in shape, and supported by an internal sub- 
cartilaginous part. Their organs of locomotion consist 
of numerous extensile, tentacular ciirhi, pendent from 
the whole of the under surface ; and it is by the action 
of these organs that their motion through the water is 
effected. The order is well represented by the Velellce 
and PorpitcB. 
Genus Velella (the Sallee-man). — This genus, 
forming the type of the family Velellidcr^ is represented 
in Plate 1, fig. 8, by the species V. cyanea. 
Genus Porpita. — This genus, forming the type of 
another family, is represented by Porpita gigantea in 
Plate 1, fig. 7. 
Order-IV.— PHYSOGRADA. 
The animals belonging to this order are characterized 
by their possessing one or more vessels filled with air, 
by means of which they keep themselves suspended 
in the water; and by their being furnished with more 
or less numerous cirrhiform tentacula attached to these 
air vessels. The species are numerous, and are dis- 
tributed throughout several families. 
The family Physoplwridce contain several genera 
composed of animals found floating on the surface of 
the sea, and is represented in Plate 2, fig. 2, by 
Physalia pelagica (or megalista)., the common “Portu- 
guese man of war,” as it is called; and in Plate 1, fig. 
5, by Physophora disticha* 
The family Diphydce consists of gelatinous trans- 
parent little creatures, which appear, when closely 
examined, to consist of two crystalline-looking pieces 
like bits of glass. These two portions are always found 
the one included within the cavitj' of the other, but 
capable cf being separated without injury to each other. 
The family is represented in Plate 1, fig. 4, by the 
beautifully delicate Diphyes Boryi or Campamdifera, an 
exotic species, but which is sometimes thrown up on 
our own coasts, particularly the flat sandy beaches of 
No’folk and Suffolk. 
Class III. — ZOOPHYTA* or POLYPI (Zoophytes or Polyps). 
This class of radiated animals is thus characterized 
by Milne Edwards: — Animals organized for a sedentarj' 
mode of life, having no locomotive organs, and being 
provided with a circle of retractile tentacula round the 
mouth, and a central gastric cavity not communicating 
with a vent, and containing the reproductive organs 
when they exist ; in general fissiparous or multiplying 
by buds as well as by ovules. They received the name 
Zoophytes (animal plants) because the animals are often 
crowded together in societies or families in such a 
manner as to assume the form of trees — a form assumed 
so as to allow each of the individuals of which the 
society is composed to procure a fair and equal share 
of nourishment from the water which surrounds them 
and on which they live, as the leaves of trees extract 
nourishment from the air in which the plant grows. 
The union which they form with each other is some- 
times so intimate, that one individual cannot be injured 
without its becoming felt by the whole society. The 
permanent fabric formed by these animals is called 
Polypidom (the house of the Polyps). The Zoophytes, 
taken as a class by themselves, have been divided into 
two sub-classes or divisions, according as the animals 
assume the radiated or the molluscan type. These are 
termed the Anthozoa, or Radiated zoophytes ; and the 
Bryozoa, or Molluscan zoophytes, which are now con- 
sidered by many naturalists to form a class of Mollusca, 
following and nearly related to the Tunicata. Many 
of the more transparent Zoophytes are highly luminous. 
See page 381, Mollusca. 
Sub-class I. — ANTHOZOA.t 
Though we retain here this sub-class of Anthozoa, or 
“ animal flowers,” as part of the class Zoophyta, weave 
aware that from late observations made as to their 
structure, the animals of the Anthozoa appear to be 
closely related to the Medusce, and form indeed, accord- 
ing to these observations, a sub-order of the Pulrnograda 
or Discophorai. 
The animals forming the Anthozoa may be thus 
characterized : — Body tending to globular, contractile 
in every part, symmetrical ; mouth and vent one ; 
gemmiparous and oviparous ; mouth surrounded with a 
circle of retractile non-ciliated tentacles. They are 
* From zoon (Jotv) an animal, and phyton (ijurov) a plant, 
t From antlios (clvBoit) a flower, and zoon (iuor) an animal. 
divided into three orders, which contain numerous 
interesting species — I. Hydroida; II. Asteroida; III. 
Helianthoida. 
Order I.— ANTHOZOA HYDROIDA {Hydroid 
Polyps). 
In this order of Zoophytes, the permanent fabric, the 
“ House of the Polyps,” the Polypidom, is horny, fistular, 
external, and plant-like. The Polyps themselves are 
generally compound, and have the body for the most 
part of a somewhat globular figure, and of a nearly 
homogeneous composition, consisting of an aggregation 
* The figure is reversed or turned upside down in the Plate. 
