138 THE OCEAN 



shaped masses of brain-corals, often many feet 

 in diameter and height, while innumerable 

 other forms grow upon ledges, rocks and from 

 the bottom on every hand. As corals, when 

 living, are of every imaginable tint and shade 

 of colour we can imagine what a strange, 

 wonderful, brightly-coloured world such a 

 place would be. Think of great living trees 

 of fawn, purple, pink and red; of huge, bril- 

 liant-orange domes scattered on every side; of 

 growths of lavender, scarlet, emerald and blue 

 clinging to rocks and cliffs; of waving sea- 

 fans of golden-yellow; of immense masses of 

 inky-black sea-rods springing like bunches of 

 grass or reeds from among the more brightly- 

 coloured surroundings, and you will have 

 some idea of the appearance of these marvel- 

 lous jungles of marine life. In place of birds 

 and butterflies, gaudy red, blue, purple, green 

 and gold fishes dart hither and thither among 

 the branches of coral; great octopi lurk in 

 crevices of the rocks and caves and giant scar- 

 let crabs scuttle over the bottom of the sea to 

 hide themselves from sight among clumps of 

 purple and lavender weeds, 



