The naturalists' miscellany, or, Coloured figures of natural objects; drawn and described immediately from nature

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T UBI PORA MUSICA.

CHARACTER GENERIC US. Animal Nereis λCorallium tubis cylindricis, cavis, erectis, paralleliS. Lin. 8s. Nat. p. 127O. CHARACTER SPECIFICUS, ED. TUBI PORA tubis fasciculatis combinatis: disiepimentis transversis membranaceis distantibus. Lin. Sili. Illa. p. 227O.

PSEUDΟ-CORALLIUM RUBRUM.

ALCYONIUM FISTULOSUM RUBRI .Lauh. his. 3. p. 8O8. fig. 2. TUBULARIA PURPUREA.

Tourn. in . t. 342. Ιis lithophytis annumerandum est hoc corallium quorum si formam generalem spectes, vix possit dubitari quin ab animalibus emeta sint. Constat quippe tota massa e tubulis erectis et parallelis, alio super alium gradatim assurgente, qualiter fere fit in cellulis apum. Septa transversa quibus tuborum strata Connectuntur, ascendunt inaequaliter in variis partibus, tubis ipsiis raro

unciamin

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υnciam, interdum semiunciam altis, eorundem diametro nunc decimam nUnc octavam pollicis partem attingente. Ab hac tamen proportione in diversis speciminibus longe deceditur. Vera animalium incolentium natura ViX adhuc pro certo explorata est: ea tamen putat Limnaeus Nereidibus vix ac ne vix differre. Speciem hac pulchriorem vix fortasse inveniemus in toto genere corallino: structurae enim ipsius elegantiam mire auget Color suaviter purpureus seu phoeniceus. Si singuli tubiaccuratius inspiciantur, patebit eorum UnumqUem Uetubulum minorem geniculis aliquot seu septis radiatis divisum continere, cujus ope diversis stratis saepe cum

se invicem communicatur. In magnam molem sese eX-

tendit formosum hoc corallium, nec defuere specimina quae pedes duos immo tres diametro superarunt. Cum adhuc sit recens, tota superficies eXterior gelata seu mucosa substantia obducitur, quae etiam per partes tUbulatas quodammodo diffundi videtur. Magna Tubiporae musicae est copia circa littora insularum Indicarum nec non maris Pacifici.

Fig. I, Pars aperta, et microscopio aucta, ut structura interior pateat.

Fig. 2, 3, 4, Tubuli separati magnitudine naturali.

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CRIM SON TUBI PORE,

OR GAN COR A L.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

Animal allied probably) to the genus Nereis. Coral consis ing of erect cylindric parallel tubes. SPECIFIC CHARACTER, Sc. TUBI PORE with fasciculated connected iubes,

and distant transverse membranaceous disi epiment S. ArgenU. conch. t. 26. fig. A. Eliis Zooph. p. 144. t. 27. This is one of those Lithophytes whicli in structureand generat appearance seem plainly to indicate theoperation os animais, the whole massi consisting of anastoriment of upright parallel tubes, rising oVer eachother by stages, sonaewhat in the manner of the celis ofan honeycomb. The stages or transverse disiepiments by whicli the strata os tubes are connected, are ofunequat heighis in different paris of the massi, and the tubes of each stratum seldona rise to the height os an inch, and somelimes do not exceed half an inch, and their diameter is from about a tentii to an eighth of

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an in ch. In disserent specimens hoWever there is a considerable variation, both in the proportional lengiliand diameter of the iubes. The reat nature of the inhabiting animais of these iubes is not clearly ascertained, but they are supposed by Linnaeus to be strongly alliedio Nereides. In potnt of beauty scarce any of thecorat tribe can exceed the present species; the colour, Whicli is a ricli purple or deep crimson, highly in-Creasing the elegance of the fabric. The individualthabes, When accurately examined, appear each furnis hedwith a sinalter internat iube, Whicli is divided at certain distances by radiated diaphragnas or partitions. Bymeans of these internat tubes the different strata ostencommunicate Mith each other. This curious coral extends iis eis to a very considerable sire; specimens hav-ing been frequently seen os from one to three Dei in diameter. In iis recent state the whole opper surisce is coaled OVer by a mucous or gelatinous substance, whicliseems to pervade the tubular textrire of the whole coral. The tubi pora musica is produced in the greatest abuiridance abolit the sinores of the East- Indian istands and those of the Pacific Ocean. Fig. I, A piece laid open and magnified by the microstope,

in order to fhew the interior structure. Fig. 2, 3, 4, Separate iubes of their natural sige.

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CASU ARIUS AUSTRALIS.

CHARACTER GENERICUS. Rosrum depressum, rectum, subconicum.

Alae brevissimae, volatui inutiles. Femora in parte inferiore denudata. Pedes tridactyli, digitis omnibus anticis. Cauda nulla. Lath. inae orn. p. 664. ARACTER SPECIFICUS, M.

CASUARIUS FUSCUS, vertice inermi. STRUTHIO CASUARIUS. Lin. S i. Nat. p. 265. CASUARIUS NOVAE HOLLANDIAE.

Lath. inae orn. p. 665. Inter aves quas protulit ingens illa insula Nova Hollandia ni continens potius appelletur) insignis est quae in tabula depingitur Casuarii species; a communi seu Africana adeo discrepans, ut dubitari non possit illam

penitus et revera diversam esse. Magnitudine enim est multo majori, alta interdum, ad minU8, pedes septem. Color imus cinereo-fuscus, subtus pallidior. Caret caput galea seu crista illa cornea, quae speciem commUM Iem

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nem distinguit. Collum praeterea loco rugosar illius et rubrae caerUleaeqUe cutis, et caruncularum quae in Africana ConspicUae, pennis parVis Vestitur, per quas ipsa cutis in hac parte leviter caerulea vix ac ne vix discerni possit. In apicibus alarum, quae ad volandum inutiles, unguiculus est incurvatus et acutus. Crura validissima, nigricantia, et in parte postica Conspicue serrata. Rostrum ejusdem fere coloris cum cruribUS.