T ab. 28.
F ig . i—|
compounded of many of fuch animals, each upon its cell,
do vegetate as plants, becaufe they grow up together in
ramified forms.
Peyfonel and Linnaeus are both of opinion, that the
animals of the Lithophyta, or Corals, conftrudt their own
cells by depofiting under them a coralline matter. See
Syft. Nat. pag. 1270.
[ 1 ] . MaDREPORjE SlMPLICES. '
Corallium fimplex.
Stella unica.
1. Madrepora Patella,
Madrepora fimplex acaulis, lamellis latere muricatis fub-
tricbotomis : tertiis indivfis majoribus.
T ab. 28. F ig . i— 4.
Lamellce omnes margine denticulat®, latere valde mu:
ricatffi, du® trichotomae : lamellula intermedia indivi.fa
crafliufcula: tertia reliquis multo major, a centro ad
marginem continua, indivifa. Juniores planae, adult®
convex®.
This little Coral is an inch and a half diameter, and a
quarter of an inch thick : when I firft faw it,. I took it
to be the Madrepora Fungites in its younger ftate; but
upon examining.it ftridtly, and the manner of its growing,
fuch as the regular fubdivifions of its lamell® at particular
diftances. in a trichotomous order, together with
their fides. being remarkably granulated ; befides, the
plates, or lamell®, of the younger kinds of Madrepora
Fungites from the Eaft Indies are much more elevated,
lefs numerous, fmooth on their fides, and their edges
dentated
dentated or crenated te fo that if it is not a diftindt fpecies,
it is certainly a variety of the following.
This was found in the Mediterranean Sea,
2- Madrepora Fungites.
Madrepora 'fimplex acaulis convex a, lamellis latere fub~
afiperis. indivifis : al.ternis minoribus fiubincompletis■.
T ab. 28. Fro. 5. 6.
Madrepora Fungites. Linn. Syft. Nat. Ed. 12. p.1273.
Pall. Zooph. 2-8r. n. 165.
Lamellce omnes margine valde denticulat®, latere au-
tem vix exafperat® ; tubercula enim minutiflima funt.
Lamell® majores continu® a centro ad peripheriam ; mi-
nores f®piflime centrum non adtingunt. Centrum ob-
longum.
The animal o f this curious Coral is defcribed by Rum-
phius, who faw it alive, as I have already mentioned in
my remarks on this genus. Dr. Linnaeus obferves, that
Fdrikohl defcribes the animal of it to be of the Priapus
(or Adtinia) kind,, and, in the fame manner as a fhell-
fiih, forms its fhell under itfelf.
Phis Coral is met with in great abundance in the Red
Sea, and. the Eaft-Indian Ocean; it is frequently found
of five or fix inches diameter, and often of a milk-white
color.
In many curious collections, fuch as thofe of the Dut-
chefs Dowager of Portland and, Dr. Fothergill, there are
many young ones adhering to the old ones, with large
riling lamell®, as in the.old ones..
T ab.28.
F ig. 5* 6.
3.. Madrepora