364 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE cmap. 
can be really seen. After walking over a flat 
uninteresting tract of nearly bare rock, you 
look down and see a steep irregular wall, 
expanding deeper into the ocean than the eye 
can follow, and broken into lovely grottoes 
and holes and canals, through which small 
resplendent fish of the brightest blue or gold 
flit fitfully between the lumps of coral. ‘The 
sides of these natural grottoes are entirely 
covered with endless forms of tender-coloured 
coral, but all beautiful, and all more or less of 
the fingery or branching species, known as 
madrepores. It is really impossible to draw 
or describe the sight, which must be taken 
with all its surroundings as adjuncts.” ! 
The vegetation of these fairy lands is also 
very lovely; the Coral tree (Erythrina) with — 
light green leaves and bunches of scarlet 
blossoms, the Cocoa-nut always beautiful, the 
breadfruit, the graceful tree ferns, the 
Barringtonia, with large pink and white 
flowers, several species of Convolvulus, 
and many others unknown to us even by 
name. 
1 Abercromby, Seas and Skies in many Latitudes. 
