152 THE ORIGIN OP CREATION. 



will be formed beyond, or outside of it ; and so on 

 indefinitely. 



Chambers Encyclopedia gives an instance of this outer reef 

 liaving been broken through to allow a vessel to pass out, and 

 says the gap was filled up again in fifteen years, by these 

 industrious insects. This incident is introduced to show the 

 rapidity with which they work. But if we are to attribute this 

 work to them, we must also believe them endowed with con- 

 siderable administrative and governing powers. Orders must 

 have been issued to all parts of the reef, for the assembling of 

 an army to repair the damages ; and work in other places must 

 have been delayed in order to finish this great undertaking. 

 We should rather think that they would have been annoyed 

 with the destruction, and left the gap alone. If we could find 

 any such gap abandoned, or not filled up again, then we would 

 admit our theory wrong, for the law of nature in repairing the 

 breach could not be stopped. 



In conclusion, every production of nature capable of sustain- 

 ing life has a parasite peculiar to it, and the coral insect is 

 merely one of these parasites making its home in or about l&e 

 coral, and feeding on the congenial water around it. 



