6o 



CORALS AND CORAL LS LANDS. 



Other Alcyonoids are much branched, with die branched 

 thick and finger-like, and soft or tlexible, and the polyps small 



and wholly retractile into 



the mass. The branches, 



bare of polyps, are usually 



of some dull pale colour, 



and on account of this fact 



some of these Alcyonia go 



by the common name of 



dcad-jnetis fingers. 



Some of the species form thick lobed plates over the rocks ; 



and occasionally they are brightly coloured, even when the 



polyps are unexpanded. 



The above kinds secrete granules or spicules of carbonate 

 of lime in the tissues, and are harsher or softer in texture 

 according to the proportion of these granules. 



Some species form branching tubes, rising from an incrusting 

 base, which are rather firm owing to the calcareous spicuh^s 

 present. Such species are referred to the genus Telesto — one 



ANTHEl.IA LINEATA, S F 



TEI/fCSTO RAMICULOSA, V. 



of which, from Hong Kong, from the collection made by Dr. 

 Stimpson, is here figured (from Verrill). The second figure 

 shows the form of the expanded polyps. The unbranched 

 species of this kind make up the genus Cornularia. 



