THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, 



155 



each ending in a star-like fringe, the whole growing in a 

 horny covering, with a kind of bell-shaped cup at the end 

 of each branch. 



In the Anthozoa we find, firstly, the Sea Anemone, 

 which is a solitary animal, possessing the power of moving 

 from place to place by 

 means of its arms, which 

 spread out in a radiating 

 form, and being beauti- 

 fully coloured, present the 

 appearance of a bright 

 flower. 



We now reach animals 

 which gather and deposit 

 stony matter. The Caryo- 

 phyllea, and others of the 

 coral-forming family, are, 

 like the Sea Anemone, sepa- 

 rate animals, and form 

 their polypidom* in radia- 

 ting plates, which you- will 

 understand from the an- 

 nexed engraving (Fig. 108). 

 These plates form parti- 

 tions of the cells, in each 

 of which a little animal 

 lives. These Madrepores 

 are called lamelliform (from 

 lamella, a thin plate), and 



are very various in their forms, some branching out like 

 trees, and others taking a more solid form, as in the madre- 



* The animals of this group are called Polypes, because they have arms 

 which they spread out something like the tentacles of the cuttle-fish, the 

 ancient name of which was Polyp. The structure they form is called their 

 polypidom, from the'Latin words polypus, a polyp, and domus, a house. The 

 whole class is known as polypifera, horn, polypus, a polyp ; fcro, I bear. 



Fig. 108. 

 MADREPORE. 



