34 United States Exploring Expedition. 



productions is not conceived of, even by those best acquainted 

 vt^ith other collections in our country. These are the material 

 that constitutes the immense reefs of the Pacific and East 

 Indies, some of which exceed 1000 square miles in extent. 

 More than three-fourths of all the islands of this great ocean 

 have been built up through the labours of the coral animal. 

 The formation of these islands, and the growth of the coral 

 animal, the filling up and opening of harbours, and the rising 

 of reefs, — all interesting subjects of discussion, — ^received par- 

 ticular attention ; and the number of coral islands visited, and 

 reefs examined, have afi*orded unusual opportunities for these 

 investigations. Coloured drawings have been made of a large 

 number of coral animals, which will convey some idea of their 

 singular beauty and richness of colours. Many of these ani- 

 mals are wholly unknown to science, as this is a branch of 

 zoology to which comparatively little attention has heretofore 

 been paid, on account of the inaccessible regions in which they 

 occur. 



The following is the number of zoological drawings made 

 during the cruize, in the departments of science here enume- 

 rated : — 



Reptiles, 75 species. 



Fish, 260 ... 



Mollusca (shells with the animals), . . 500 ... 



Zoophytes, exclusive of corals, . . . 350 ... 



Corals, 140 ... 



Crustacea, 500 ... 



The variety and beauty of marine animals in the coral seas 

 of the Pacific are beyond description. Like birds in our fo- 

 rests, fish of brilliant colours sport among the coral groves, 

 and various mollusca cover the bottom with living flowers. A 

 new world of beings is here opened to an inhabitant of our 

 cold climate ; and many of these productions are so unlike the 

 ordinary forms of life, that it is difiicult, without seeing them, 

 to believe in their existence. Those that have looked over the 

 beautiful coloured drawings by the artists of the expedition, 

 are aware that this description falls short of the truth. 



A large number of new species yet remains to be drawn. 

 While there were so many things requiring immediate atten- 



