O g j C O R N W A L L,
rifks 'of <gold^#but 'theif beautiful coloui? immediately faded} though
fcep^ÏB^falt water, fô that they* asc to be feen in perfection only and
drawn*(afe thefe^ere) omthe fpbt, and when the alcyondum is fixed;
when'tidied, they flirivekup likd|aCf «piece. o£:finged leather,, and their
fubftance fermprite ftrongly withu^«« fertis'. There’is no doubt but
th’efe akyonhap^jconfift of an‘arrangement of the jelly-liâe bodies
of W certain'aS^fial'detetminëmö form,in fuch thim coatings upon
the roëksTf: TM ingenious;' Mr;' Ellis » has fhewn beyond contra-*
diftioh that the Jsèrallines safe pervaded in all their fiajfcs and branches
by polype's.%* Into thefe bodiè®^|fo adapted their jointed (tincture
to fldat to and fra in theewater, and to place them in .the
reach of theitSpioper prey} ithey either infinuate thpmfelves,. exca-*
vating cells for, their eggs,, and ffififening tubes and pafiâges for1
therhfelves and -ftheir fteple young ones, or according to another
hypothefis lately efpoufed by .gbntkmen of great experience in
this branch of fcience *, they form this coralline armature for thein-
felvcs from the very foundation, being taught their leffon by the
fame Mafter who inftrufts the fhail, the oyfter, and the belemnite
to build according to the exigencies of their (pecifical fhape of
body*. However that be, through the extremities of the coralline
boughs they tbruft forth their tmtamla of arrasto fi|ze their prey ||
they^am fo (mall that they are feldom to, M 'f e a but in rhicrofcopes,
their prey is proportionably finaller and weaker* yet probably àni-*
mals, and thofe have other fubordinate^é«|j. o f animal-focd’beyona ;
the reach of glades ffor what elfe but animal-food can eonfift o f |a
parts fine enough for their vital pafîàges?} ; all théfe are (urniihed
^ith life and motion, that whilft they range in feaxch of their own
food, fbe^may difperfe and gradually communicate animal nou-
rifhment to their fuperiors in fize and ufefulnefs to mankind. ,
Among a parcel of fca-plants brought me March 24, 17.52, I Worms,
found a fea-flug, fmooth and flimy as the land-flug or dew-fnail,
pointing forth its eyes on its antenna it crept and clafped, con-
rafted and extended itfelf, (as the fnail) by its belly, but had this
peculiarity, that it emitted at times a moft beautiful purple eobur ;
whén it vvas almoft dead, on dropping alfew grams of ffalt oh its
back, it fent forth the purple dye very plentifully. It feems to me of
the Éolothuriâh kind ; öf lyhbk Rondeletius treats, part 11. p. 1 2 $
Fig; Xm. Plate XXVI. is the long-worm found upon Careg-killas,
in Mount’s Bay, which, though it might properly enough come in
among the anguilli-form fifties, which are to fucceed in their order,
yet I chufe to place here among the lefs perfeft kind of fba-ani-
mals : it is brown, and (lender as a wheaten reedj it meafured five.
' ‘V F; R. S. London, Hift. of Corallines, printed * Mr. Ellis, before-mentioned, and others,
jn London 1755, WIMa* * , * See page 242, before. ■
feet