nates greatly over the animal one. The Lithophytes 
are confidered as the actual builders of the fubftance 
which they appear to inhabit, as in the Madrepores, 
and other hard or ftony corals ; but the Zoophytes are 
(according to the Linnaean idea) to be confidered as 
a kind of real vegetables, furnilhed with animated flow¬ 
ers, which, by a peculiar procefs of nature, difplay them- 
felves from the ramifications in the form of real ani¬ 
mals of the Polype tribe. 
Whether this idea be ftrielly philofophical may well 
be queftioned ; and perhaps the opinion of Mr. Ellis, 
viz. that the ramified or fuppofed vegetable part, is 
a ineer bails or fupport formed by the animals which 
inhabit it, is the moil probable opinion of the two. 
Thefe animals are generally of an appearance more 
or lefs refembling the Hydra, or Polype genus. The 
genus Gorgonia, to which our prefent fubjeft belongs, 
is one of the moil elegant of the Zoophyte tribe. It 
contains a great number of fpecies, fome of which are 
nearly of a limple or unbranched ilrudlure, while 
others are very much ramified, and fome are alfo reti¬ 
culated ; it is in this latter diviiion of the genus, that 
this fpecies is to be arranged. 
This beautiful coral is found on the coafts of the 
Mediterranean, and thofe of both the Indies; adhering 
to rocks or other fubilances, which may afford it a 
ileady bails. 
It is frequently of a very large fize, viz. two or 
three feet in length; and it is often proliferous in a 
moft elegant manner. Its general colour is a beauti¬ 
ful purple, tinged with ycllowilh ; but in point of co¬ 
lour* 
