Ihe Hiftory of A N I M A L S. 95 
This, or Tome other fpecies of this genus, has been very pompoufly defcribed by 
Mr Hughes, in the Philofophical Tranfadions, and in his Hiftory of Barbadoes, un¬ 
der the name of the Sea Anemone j but, from his unacquaintance with the characters 
and diftindions of the animals of this clafs, it is not eafy to fay, with certainty, which 
it is that he means. 
AElinia tentaculis capillaceis * 
The Actinia, with capillaceous tentacular 
This is a very fmall fpecies: it’s body is oblong, flender, and whitifh, feldom ex¬ 
ceeding a third of an inch in length : it’s tail is Ample ; it’s tentacula are numerous, 
but all of the fame length, and difpofed in a double feries; they are very narrow, and 
are in a continual, vibratory motion. 
It is frequent in the regular, ftellar cavities of the madreporse, and in thofe of feve- 
ral of the other ftony fea-plants, as alfo in the holes of rocks and fmall ftones. There 
* are not wanting authors of great credit, who affert that the madreporas, the corals, 
and the generality of what we call the fea-plants, are not vegetables, but the work of 
Infeds of this kind, and of other of thefe genera, the Nereides, Polypes, and Me- 
dufe. It is very evident, that thefe Infeds are found frequently in the cavities of thofe 
plants, but they are alfa as frequently found in thofe of rocks and pebbles; and it 
would be as juft to fuppofe thofe greater and fmaller irregular mafles of ftony matter 
fabricated by them, as thefe regular and beautiful plants. 
The other fpecies of this genus are, i. The larger Adinia, with numerous, varie¬ 
gated, conic rays, and a fmooth body. 2. The great, white, Ample, coloured, fur- 
rowed-bodied Adinia. 3. The little, white Adinia of the ftony plants, with few 
tentacula. 4. The little, fiefti-coloured Adinia, with very numerous tentacula, 
BIOTA, 
T H E body of the Biota is of a cylindric figure, but variable : the tentacula are 
arranged in a fingle feries, round the aperture of the mouth, at the extremity 
of the body. 
The generality of authors have called the fpecies of this genus Polypes, a very ah~ 
furd and improper name for an animal, which has no legs, the fenfe of it being many 
legs, or many feet. Linnaeus has called the genus Hydra, I fuppofe from the repul- 
lul&tion or reprodudion of the parts, when cut off, which put him in mind of the 
heads of the imaginary ferpent fo called 5 but there feems an affedation and quaintnefs 
in this, which the pure fimplicity of natural hiftory does not allow'. The principle of 
life, in the feveral parts of this creature, any fragment of which 1 -will become an entire 
animal in a few days, is, indeed, very remarkably ftrong; and I have rather chofen to 
exprefs it by the generical name, by the fimple word, Biota, from the Greek B/oe, 
Life, than by fo affeded a term as Hydra. 
Biota cor pore fuhcylindrico , tentaculis longijfimis . 
The Biota, with a fuhcylindric body , and very long ten- 
‘ tacula . 
\\ • - 
%\)Z # 0 = 
This is the fpecies of this genus *. the furprizing properties of which were difcovered 
by Monfteur Trembley, and which, having been firft known and kept alive in glafles 
among us, obtained, by way of eminence, the name of the Polype , the other fpecies 
being diftinguifhed by their different charaders. 
There is fcarce an animal in the world, which it muft be more difficult to defcribe, 
than this, as it has fcarce any thing conftant in it’s form : it varies it’s whole figure at 
pleafure, and is frequently found befet with young in fuch a manner, as to appear ra- 
moie and divaricated; thefe young ones adhering to it in fuch a manner, as to appear 
parts of it’s body. 
When fimple and in a moderate ftate, as to contradion, or dilatation, it is an oblong 
animal, flender, pellucid, and of a pale reddiffi colour: it’s body is fomewhat fmaller 
toward the tail, by which it affixes itfelf to fome folid body, and larger toward the 
2 other 
