CORAL ISLES 



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of gazing at the "flowers" in this submarine garden. 

 A series of specimens of the Mushroom Coral 

 [Fungia], illustrating the life history, was collected. 

 This solitary coral increases by budding, and one of 

 our specimens was a recently detached bud, which re- 

 sembled a tiny toadstool. 



HOLOTHURIANS IN CORAL POOL. 



Holothurians, the beche-de-mer of commerce, 

 were abundant in the lagoon, where they crawled 

 over the sandy spots or lay huddled in the shelter of 

 coral blocks. A large black species, slimy and re- 

 pulsive, was most numerous. When alarmed, these 

 sea-slugs contracted their bodies, and ejected a cloud 

 of sticky, white filaments, which waved in the water 

 like cilia. Another species, about six inches in 

 length, was shaped like a cucumber, and the pinky- 

 red body was dotted with blunted spikes. Sea Hares 



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