covered with ftars on its outward lkin, does hot fend out
the polype fuckers here defcribed : but at prefent, till a
new genus is conftituted for it, I fhall rank it with this.
The reader, when he comes to confider this animal, and
attend to the defcription, will be better able to judge of
the propriety of this remark. In looking over the Alcyo-
niums of fuch authors as have lately wrote on the fub-
jedt of Zoophytes, I find fome of them more probably belonging
to the Gorgonias, particularly fuch as have an
internal harder part, which is undoubtedly the bone or
fupport of the animal; and thefe are very nearly allied to
the Gorgonia fuberofa and Gorgonia Briareus, which I
could not avoid on this account placing under that genus.
The fpecies that I mean are the Alcyonium arboreum
Linn, or great Norway Sea Shrub, and probably the A lcyonium
exos Linn, or Manus Latronis of Marfigli. I f
thefe are cut perpendicularly through the middle, I believe
they will appear to have a harder part within, very
different from the true character of'the genus of Alcyonium.
Others that are ranged among the Alcyoniums
approach more to the genus of Sponges, particularly, to
thofe that are compofed o f final 1 fpiculas, which are intimately
blended with their gelatinous flefh; but thefe
fpiculse in fome are remarkably difpofed on the furface,
where they furround internally the openings or mouths of
the animal. I Believe no polype-like fuckers have as yet
appeared to proceed from thefe mouths, when the animal
was alive, nor any remains when dry ; nor have they thofe
ftarry cells on the furface, which are a diftinguifhing character
of this genus. Donati, who had an opportunity of
examining moft of thefe bodies alive, never difcovered any
polypes on the furface of either the Alcyonium Lyncurium
Linn, or Tethya Sphaerica Donat. Adriat. tab. 10. orthe
3 Alcyonium
Alcyonium Cydonium Linn, or Alcyonium prim, of
Donat, Adriat, tab. 9, The Ficus o f Marfigli, which
has been introduced as an Alcyonium, its evidently a
Sponge, The form is like a fig, for which reafon it was
fo called by him.
x. Alcyonium digitatum.
Alcyonium albidum ear-
nofo-fpongiofum lobatum,
efcutis fiellatis imdique notât
um.
Dead Man s Does
Is a whitifh fubftance between
flefh and fponge, divided
into lobes, the furface
of which is covered with little
mouths in the form of
flars.
Dead Man s Hand, or Dead Man s Does. Ellis Corallin.
pag. 83. tab. 32. fig. a, A. A 2.
Alcyonium Manus marina. Phil. Tranf. Vol. 53 •
tab. 20. fig. 10— 13.
Alcyonium digitatum. Linn. Syft. Nat. Ed. 12. p. 1294.
Nothing can better illuftrate the internal form and
manner in which both the Aftroite Madrepores and the
common officinal Sponge grow, than a perpendicular
fedtion of this Alcyonium. It is very commonly found
on the Kentiffi coaft, near the Idle of Sheppey, where
likewife there is another variety, of a deep yellow color,
which is frequently to be met with.
2.AleyoniumPulmonaria.
Alcyonium pulpofum li-
vidum lobato-comprejfum,
ofculis Jlellatis minimis obditButn.
Sea Lungs.
This is of a fleffiy fubftance
and deep yellowifh color ; it
is divided into flattiffi lobes,
which are covered with minute
ftars.
Sea