SOME OTHER LITTLE SEA-CREATURES. 155 



corals, never grow very large. The common 

 forms may be found in sheltered places, looking 

 like patches of velvet growing on the surface of 

 the rock. Sometimes this velvet is bright red, 

 and sometimes purple or yellow. 



The patches will vary in size, some of them 

 being larger than your two hands. The velvet 

 is generally less than a quarter of an inch in 

 thickness, and there are numerous holes in its 

 surface, which are the breathing-pores for the 

 sponge animals. 



Sometimes you will find larger pieces of dead 

 sponge washed up on the beach with the sea- 

 weeds. These are brown in color, or may be 

 bleached almost white, and are of a fibrous nature, 

 but not very tough. There are other forms of 

 sponge in the sea, waiting for you to examine 

 their wonderful structure. 



In the rock grottoes, where we find the corals 

 and sponges, are many other strange forms of 

 life. One of the most common forms, as well as 

 one of the most difficult to understand, is that of 

 the Tunicates, or Ascidiaiis. 



Both of these names are rather long, though 

 they each have their meaning; the first referring 

 to a tunic, and the second to a bag, or sack. In 

 the Bible we read that u new wine must be put 



