56 Part second. 



turies those immense coral-reefs of which mention has been made 

 above. The second and even more rapid process of reproduction 

 is that of budding, which is famihar to all in plants. In this case 

 the parental polype remains intact, but at one point or other of 

 its body a new growth begins from which, as from a bud, a new 

 individual is formed. This in the case of Corals does not separate 

 from the first individual but remains attached to it. The whole 

 colony is either supported internally or surrounded externally 

 by the calcareous framework or covering, which the individuals 

 form themselves; when they are dead, this retains the appearance 

 of trees or bushes, or assumes other curious shapes. But what- 

 ever may be their form or colour, it must always be remembered 

 that these "corals" are not the coral-animals themselves; they are 

 only the hard, skeletal parts, which have been formed by millions 

 of small polypes. Of these many hundreds of generations have 

 already died, while their offspring, the present generation, stretch 

 out their delicate tentacles like tiny feathery crowns from the pores 

 of the coral-trees. 



Of these tree-like corals we would mention first the Sea-finger 

 ("Deadmen's-fingers"), Alcyonium (fig. 104), the skeleton of which 

 does not form a united framework, but consists of numerous loose 

 calcareous spicules, so that the animals are able to swell them- 

 selves out by taking up a large amount of sea-water. Such a 

 colony of Alcyonium, which when contracted appears like a yellow 

 or pink piece of sponge is hardly to be recognized when expanded 

 to its full size. It then becomes almost transparent, and over the 

 whole surface appear the outstretched polyps like little flowers. 

 The Sea-Pen (Pennatula, fig. 103) can also swell itself out at 

 pleasure by taking in sea-water. When not thus expanded the 

 body is flabby and the animal to all appearances dead ; but when 

 it has taken up sea-water it becomes beautifully transparent and 

 erect, and the leaf like lappets are studded along their upper 

 edge with delicate polypes. 



The skeleton of the White Coral, Isis (fig. 105), consists of 

 alternating pieces of horny and calcareous matter; in the Red 

 Coral which belongs to the same family, the skeleton is composed 

 entirely of carbonate of lime or chalk. 



The great value of the Red Coral, Corallium rubrum (fig. 108), 

 for ornamental purposes is due to its beautiful colour, and the hard 

 texture of its skeleton, enabling it to take a high pohsh. The 

 ancients valued corals greatly, but they had a wholly erroneous idea 

 of their nature, an idea shared even now by many people; they 

 considered the Coral to be a plant, which remained soft while 

 in the sea, but which became suddenly hard on being taken out 

 of the water. But if a branch be examined, as soon as it has been 

 fished from the sea, it will be found to be enveloped by a coating, 

 also of red colour, just as the wood of a tree is enveloped by its 



