32 CORAL REEFS. 



of stony sea-weed, as it were, growing hard from the 

 quantity of lime particles it contains ; and others which, 

 like those we have been speaking of, are little animals, 

 differing somewhat from them, however, in the arrange- 

 ment of their parts. But it is not necessary, in order 

 that you should understand the building of a cora) 

 reef, to explain to you the different nature of all the 

 Corals that compose it. 



Florida is not the only country that has been built 

 up in this way. One of the most beautiful parts of 

 Switzerland, called the Jura, lying on the border be- 

 tween Switzerland and France, is formed of coral reefs 

 such as are now forming in Florida. If you look at 

 your map of Europe, you will see what great changes 

 must have taken place since then. Now, you see, 

 Switzerland is completely shut out from the sea ; it 

 lies between France, Germany, Austria, and Italy, and 

 is land-locked on every side. But, as we know that 

 Corals can live only in the salt water, it is evident that, 

 in the days when they were building up the Jura, tne 

 ocean must have washed the shores of Switzerland on 

 its western side, and the southern part of France can- 

 not have existed at all. 



The structure which I have described to you in the 

 Sea-Anemone and the Coral, belongs to many other 

 little beings having their home in the sea ; and all ani- 

 mals so constructed are called Polyps. That is theii 

 scientific name, and it includes thousands of animals 

 which, however they may differ in external form, have 

 their parts arranged internally in the same way. 



