130 LEISURE-TIME STUDIES. 



selecting and using appropriate material in the actions of 

 life, explain it how we may, constitutes one of the most con- 

 sistent and clearly denned distinctions which can be drawn 

 between the world of life and the great encompassing universe 

 of non-living matter. 



The foregoing remarks may serve to elucidate in some 

 degree the essential nature of a process whereby ,certain 

 animal forms not only build up structures of massive kind in 

 modern seas, but through which they have been enabled to 

 effect change and alteration of no ordinary extent on our 

 earth, in past epochs of its history. With the coral-animals 

 every one must be familiar as far as the mere name of these 

 beings is concerned ; and doubtless few people are unfamiliar 

 with some variety or other of the substance manufactured by 

 the animals just named. As presenting a subject for a brief 

 investigation into some curious phases, not only of animal 

 life but of physical history also, the coral-animals stand 

 possibly without a rival ; and as illustrative of a veritable 

 race of animal architects, these beings have no equal, either 

 in respect of the variety or the magnitude of their opera- 

 tions. 



Probably no portion of the domain of the naturalist has 

 been more plentifully overrun with error than the special 

 territory which includes the coral-polypes as its tenants. To 

 begin with, errors in name are of plentiful occurrence ; the 

 most common instance of this kind being found in the 

 erroneous designation of " insects " often bestowed on the 

 coral-animals. The name " insect " was no doubt applied in a 

 very loose and general sense in bygone days. But it is the 

 first duty of science to be correct in its nomenclature, and 

 as suggestive of a relationship to the familiar " insects " the 

 use of this term, as applied to the coral-architects, is of 

 grossly erroneous nature. Ere now, also, the fishes of the 

 sea have been credited with the work of building coral-reefs, 

 and the vague term "animalcules" was used in former days 

 to indicate the nature of the workers in coral. Nor have 

 poets been behind in propagating erroneous ideas concern- 



