A CURIOUS COLONY. 53 



within them are developed the little masses of living 

 matter which represent the eggs of the sea-fir. 

 Sooner or later, these eggs are discharged into the 

 sea. Each undergoes the special development of its 

 race. It swims about freely for a time, like some 

 errant animalcule. 



Then it settles down, fixes itself to its oyster-shell, 

 and we see growing out of the settled-down egg the 

 likeness of one little member of the sea-fir state. 

 By-and-by there begins a process of budding as 

 truly budding, indeed, as is seen in any plant. The 

 result of this process is to produce other units like 

 itself. The budding continues, and in due season 

 we behold reproduced the connected branched colony 

 with which we started. 



That is the history of every sea-fir you may find. 

 It arose from an egg which was developed in the egg- 

 capsule of a pre-existing colony ; and it grew to its 

 vegetable form by its imitation of the ways of increase 

 we see in every plant. This history might be in- 

 definitely prolonged. 



I might tell you of near neighbours of the sea-fir 

 whose reproductive buds are represented by veritable 

 free -swimming jelly-fishes, which mature the eggs 

 from which in turn the colonies in due time spring. 

 The main features of sea-fir life are unaffected by the 

 complexities of its neighbours ; and to-day, on New- 

 haven Pier, you have at least learned one lesson in 

 science that animal life may closely imitate plant- 

 existence in form and function, and that it is not 

 always the higher life which most perfectly illus- 

 trates co-operation and that unity in which we are 

 so strongly advised perpetually to dwell. 



