CORAL-POLYPS AND SEA-ANEMONES. I 29 



holding the " holy " water. The shells are more common 

 now, and are often employed of all sizes for this purpose. 

 One from Singapore (Fig. 25) was shown in the London 

 International Fisheries Exhibition, in 1883. Its weight was 

 3 cwts., 3 qrs., 14 Ibs. ; its length, 3 ft. 4 in. ; and its breadth, 

 2 ft. 2 in. 



In some parts of the Arctic Ocean the bed is covered 

 with " urchins " or sea-eggs, and these, as well as the in- 

 numerable crabs, lobsters, cray-fishes, and many others, all 

 require lime for their shells or armour. 



Passing over these, however, we come to other animals, 

 which though individually much smaller, yet take up far 

 more space than any beds of oysters or other mollusks, and 

 in fact cover an area so vast as hardly to be estimated at all. 

 We mean, of course, the coral-polyps, " coral insects" as 

 they are erroneously called in certain pieces of poetry. 

 They are, however, no more "insects" than the oysters; 

 and in spite of the same poetry, they cannot accurately be 

 described as "builders" or "architects," nor held up as 

 examples of industry. 



No one thinks of speaking of the grass in the meadow as 

 " toiling " to make hay, nor does one praise baby for his 

 industry because he has grown' since last year, and coral- 

 making is no more toilsome than bone-making. What we 

 call " coral " is in fact the animal's skeleton, not its house. 



The coral-polyp, as the creature is called, in allusion to 

 its many arms or rays, much resembles the garden-aster in 

 appearance, and is still more like the sea-anemone, which 

 indeed gives one a better idea of it than any description 

 can do. 

 J 



