Ad99998 07 010a/eng
Der handförmige Seekork oder die Teufelshand
Beschreibungstext eng
Worms XV. Vol. VII. No. 8., THE ALCYONIUM OR DEVIL'S HAND. (Alcyonium manus diaboli, Linn.), The Alcyonium, formedlike a hand, which by the marineis and inhabitants of the seashore is vulgarly called devil's band, thief's hand, hand o£ Judas, sea-hand, is a particular species of plant - animais, or zoophytes, belonging to the genus Alcyonium. It is composed of inflexfble and almost horney filaments, surrounded, in their fresh state, by ajuicy substance, in which, towards the exterior part, in the fingers or dents, are little caves or cells, serving as a continuai abode to pariicular polypes (he-re not copied) of a cylindrical Fig. ure, and furnished with many fringed fangs, round âbout the aperture of the mouth. The out-side of this plant-animal varies, as to the form, length and ihickness of the dents, as shews Fig. . i. compared with Fig. . 2. Besides both Fig. ures exhibit the natural greatness together with the cavities, shaped like a pipe, at the top of the points, where the polypes dvvell. These Alcyoniums are to be found on the coasts of Holland, France and England, where by growing they cleave to the inferior parts of stones, muscles and snails.
