318 TOILERS IN THE SEA. 



have also their companion tube-worms. Many speci- 

 mens of these (Porites) have the interior of the coral 

 mass riddled with these worm-cases, whose openings 

 cover the surface of the coral head. " Such a com- 

 bination of growing coral and worms, when both are 

 alive, presents one of the most beautiful sights upon 

 a live coral bank." 



Mr. G. H. Lewes relates some curious experi- 

 ences of one of the tube-making worms. " No 

 one," he says, " I believe, has yet recorded the 

 fact of the Terebella multiplying itself by the 

 process of gemmation, which is known to occur in 

 the case of some other worms. When the animal 

 reproduces by this budding process, it begins to 

 form a second head near the extremity of its 

 body. After this head, other segments are in 

 turn developed, the tail, or final segment, being 

 the identical tail of the mother, but pushed forward 

 by the young segments, and now belonging to 

 the child, and only vicariously to the mother. In 

 this state we have two worms and one tail. 

 But in some worms the process does not stop 

 here. What the mother did, the child does, and 

 you may see, at last, six worms forming one con- 

 tinuous line, with only one tail for the six. The 

 tail indeed is the family inheritance ; but reversing 

 the laws of primogeniture, it always descends to 

 the youngest, like that elaborate display of baby- 



