CORALS AND CORAL MAKERS. 57 



corals attained, in some species, a diameter of several feet. 

 No doubt the colours, among the coral polyps and other life of 

 the ancient seas, were as brilliant as now exist. 



Nature's economist here puts the question — Why all this 

 beauty when there were no eyes to enjoy it? But beauty 

 exists because, " in the beginning," " the Spirit of God moved 

 upon the face of the waters;" and man finds delight therein 

 inasmuch as he bears the image of his Maker. 



A single recent species has been obtained by Mr. L. F. de 

 Pourtales, in dredging at a depth of 324 fathoms, near the 

 Florida reef, which may be a Cyathophylloid, although it has 

 been supposed that the species of the tribe have been extinct 

 since the middle of the Mesozoic era. It was half an inch 

 high and broad, and the polyp-cell had eight septa — a multiple 

 of four, as in the true Cyathophylloids. The discoverer has 

 named it Haplophyllia paradoxa. F)Ut he observes that it may 

 after all be only an abnormal Actinoid. 



III. ALCYONOID POLYPS. 



The name Alcyo?uum, given to some of the species of this 

 group, is derived from Alcyone, the fabled daughter of Nep- 

 tune. It is sometimes written with an initial H, in conformity 

 with the aspirate of ihe Greek word ; but Latin authors usually 

 omitted the H, and this has been good enough authority for 

 Linnaeus and the majority of later writers. 



The Alcyonoids include some of the gayest and most deli- 

 cate of coral shrubs. Almost all are flexible, and wave with 

 the motion of the waters. They contribute but little to the 

 material of coral reefs, but add largely to the beauties of the 

 coral landscape. Not only are the polyps of handsome tints, 

 but the whole shrub is usually of a brilliant orange, yellow, 

 scarlet, crimson or purple shade. Dun colours also occur, as 

 ash-grey, and dark brown, and almost black. Some kinds, the 

 Sponggodiae, are too flexible to stand erect, and they hang 

 from the coral ledges, or in the coral caves, in gorgeous clusters 

 of scarlet, yellow, and crimson colours. 



