Coral and the Coral Fisheries. 441 



for cigars. The dull white is not quite so hard, and from 

 not polishing well is sold cheaper. It is often deteriorated 

 by being worm-eaten. 



Coral is, after pearls, the handsomest and most valuable 

 production obtained from the sea. Naturalists range it, in 

 the animal kingdom, at the head of zoophytes or animal- 

 plants. It presents to the fisherman the appearance of a 

 branching shrub without leaves, of a red or rose colour, 

 compact and solid. Coral has the hardness and brilliancy 

 of agate ; it polishes like gems and shines like garnet, with 

 the tints of the ruby. The larger branches are used for 

 carving, and as the material is durable, well suited to give 

 definite outlines to the sculptor's work, great labour and 

 ingenuity are frequently expended on objects of art wrought 

 in this material. The Chinese, Hindoos, and Singalese 

 have all tried their skill in carving coral, but the finest and 

 most artistic work emanates from the Italian workshops of 

 Naples, Genoa, and Leghorn. 



Large, perfect, well-shaped beads are by far the most 

 valuable form of coral, and these have greatly increased 

 in estimation of late years. Many of the finest are sent to 

 China, where they are in demand for the mandarin's red 

 button of rank worn on the cap. Some of the natives of 

 India have a preference for what may be called worm- 

 eaten beads, and tons of these, which would not find 

 favour in Europe, go to the East, where they are esteemed 

 from a superstitious belief that gods dwell in the little 

 recesses or cavities of this coral. 



The Chinese, who are most patient and skilful in all 

 their work, used to prepare strings of small rows of seed- 

 coral beads for embroidery, the boring of which was most 

 minute. The practice or art would seem to have become 

 obsolete, for I have only met with strings of them in the 



