70 



seen in existing coral reefs.* The visitor to the Bahamas, 

 who looks through his water-glass at these marine flower- 

 gardens, can form some conception of the beauty which once 

 existed in the coral reefs of the Devonian Sea. He sees 

 to-day the large coral masses, consisting of huge brain 

 corals, multicolored Astraeans and branching Madrepores, 

 whose surfaces are covered with myriads of tiny polyps ; 

 and, waving over all, the graceful Gorgonias, the sea-whips 

 and sea-fans, as they are so aptly called. Then let him be 

 transported back, in imagination, some millions of years, to 

 the coral reefs which then grew where now are some of the 

 most important states of the Union. The Maeandrinas and 

 Astraeans were then represented by large heads oi' Favosites, 

 \vhich grew sometimes in such abundance that their remains 

 constitute a large portion of the reef. The Madrepores and 

 other branching corals were not represented, but in their 

 stead grew multitudes of cup-corals, chiefl\^ single, horn-like 

 or funnel-like structures, not infrequenth' a foot in length, 

 and supporting at their growing ends, polyps, which rivalled 

 in size the modern sea-anemones of our coast. And beauty 

 of color there probably was, as well as beauty of form, 

 though only the latter is suggested in the remains. Waving 

 over the bottom in place of the modern Gorgonia fronds, 

 were those graceful and remarkable creatures, the crinoids, 

 whose modern representatives, dredged principally in tropical 

 seas, are objects of exquisite beauty. Swaying on their 

 stems, with their much-divided arms outspread, flower-like, 

 they must have presented a striking spectacle. In modern 

 tropical waters, the multicolored fishes swimming in and out 

 among the gorgeous coral masses, quickly attract the 

 attention of the observer. There were fishes in the Devonian 

 seas, but they were strange, uncouth creatures, predaceous 



*Some conception of the luxurience of life and \vealth of form in coral reefs can be 

 obtained from an inspection of Mr. \V. Saville Kent's photographs of living corals, 

 reprodviced in his book on the "Great Barrier Keef of Australia." The coloring is 

 absent from these plates, but as far as the character of the corals and their associa- 

 tion in the reefs are concerned, the plates are superb, and next to seeing the reef 

 itself, the student can do no better than to stiidy these photographs carefully. The 

 coloring is reproduced in the chromo-lithographs appended to the volume. The 

 student \vill also be surprised to find how universally the corals are exposed at low 

 tide, a condition which one would ordinarily regard as fatal to the animals. 



