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THE OCEAN WORLD. 



I. THE TUBIPORIN^E 



form a group consisting of several species, which live in the bosom of 

 tropical seas, in which the Coral Islands form so prominent a feature. 

 The group is exclusively formed of the curious genus Tubipora. 



The Tubipora is a calcareous coral, formed by a combination of 

 distinct, regularly-arranged tubes, connected together at regulated 

 distances by lamellar expansion of the same material. The aggregate 

 formation resulting from this combination of tubes constitutes a 

 rounded mass, which often attains a very considerable size. In Fig. 41 

 we have a representation of the zoophyte Tubipora musica and its 

 product, which is sometimes designated by the vulgar name of Sea- 

 Organ. In the engraving, 1 is the calcareous product, reduced to half 

 its size ; 2, is a portion in its natural size ; 3, the tubes magnified, and 

 containing the polyp which occupies the summit of the tube, the whole 

 8 



41. Tubipora musica (T.inn.), half the natural size. 



of which constitutes this curious coral ; 4, is the polyp magnified ; 

 5, the head or collection of tentacula of the individual polyp. 



