116 ITS POPULATION. 



I took a piece from mj specimen, on wliicli I carefully 

 marked out an area of one-eiglitli of an incli square. 

 Within this I found the orifices of 45 cells ; as the 

 rows are double, this would give 90 cells in every 

 square eighth-of-an-inch ; or 5,760 cells in a square 

 inch. Now, in a moderate-sized specimen of the 

 Escliara, such as several that I have had in my 

 possession, there are at least 100 square inches of 

 wall, including all the convolutions, and all the par- 

 titions, which would give a population of 576,000 

 inhabitants ; so that a well-grown mass of this coral 

 may bear rank, for multitude, with Vienna, Paris, or 

 perhaps London itself. 



Montgomery's exquisite description of the labours 

 of the Coral-worms are scarcely less applicable to 

 the architects of our humble Eschara than to those 

 which rear the colossal reefs and isles of the Pacific. 

 Familiar as the lines are, I must quote them. 



" Millions on millions thus, from age to age, 

 With simplest skill, and toil unwearyable, 

 No moment and no movement unimproved, 

 Laid line on line, on terrace terrace spread, 

 To swell the heightening, brightening, gradual mound, 

 By marvellous structure climbing tow'rds the day. 

 Each wrought alone, yet all together wrought ; — 

 Unconscious, not unworthy instruments, 

 By which a hand invisible was rearing 

 A new creation in the secret deep. 



.... I saw the living pile ascend, 

 The mausoleum of its architects, 

 Still dying upwards as then* labours closed : 

 Slime the material, but the slime was turn'd 

 To adamant, by their petrific touch : 

 Frail were their frames, ephemeral their lives. 

 Their masonry imperishable. All 



