Veficulated CorALLINES. et ar 
N°. 15. Corallina ereéta, tubulofa, pennata, halecis fpine facie. vig x. 
Corallina ferupofa, pennata, cauliculis craffiufculis rigidis. . 
Reso sar pe aOes ee 
Herring-bone Coralline. a Na 
This Coralline is often found fticking to Oyfters as they 
are brought to the Lozdon Market, during the Winter- feafon. 
It grows to be 6 or 8 Inches high, erect and ftiff, but very 
brittle when it is dry. The Stems confift of a great Num- 
ber of fmall Tubes growing nearly Parallel to each other; 
in fome, one may count, in a tranf{verfe Section, above 
one hundred: Thefe feem to arife from a great Number of 
the fame fort of Tubes, irregularly matted together like a 
piece of Sponge ; which are fixed to Oyfter-fhells, and fup- 
port the Coralline like fo many Roots. 
This Goralline increafes in Size, by Detachments of thefe 
tubulous Roots, which arife all round, and creep along the 
Outfide of thofe that went before, to which they firmly ad- 
here; and when they arrive at the Deftination, that Nature 
has appointed them, they change their Appearance, and take 
the Shape of Branches, placed at a regular Angle of 45 De- 
grees from the Stem; and fo exactly proportionable is the 
Diftance of thefe Branches from one another, that though 
they are placed alternately, with refpect to each other, yet 
the whole has, at firft Sight, the Appearance of an Herring- 
bone; the Sockets on the Branches are placed alternately. 
On thefe Sockets, while 1 was at Whit/rable in Auguf? \aft, 
I perceived very tender tranfparent Denticles of a cylindrical 
Shape, which appeared to be double; that is, one above the 
other ; in thefe were Polypes, which were connedted by their 
lower Parts to a flender flefhy Subftance of the fame Nature 
with themfelves, which J could trace through the Middle of 
the Branches, and Tubes of the Stem. 
D IT re- 
