THE RED ORGAN-PIPE CORAL. 413 



so that when a number of the animals are simultaneously pro- 

 truding themselves, the general effect is very striking. These 

 zoophytes are able to retract themselves almost wholly within 

 their houses, so that nothing is visible except that round the 

 mouth there is a small green circle, which is formed by the pro- 

 jecting tips of the tentacles. This species is found at Vanikoro. 

 There are many species of Astrsea, all very pretty, and some 

 quite beautiful. Among the most conspicuous are the Abnorm- 

 al Astr>ea (Asti-cea abdita), in which the mouth is scarlet and 

 the tentacles yellow ; the Anana AsTRiEA (Astrcea ananas), where 

 the tentacles are yellow, but the mouth white ; and the Choco- 

 late Astrcea (Astrcea fusco-viridis), where the mouth is green, 

 surrounded with a broad chocolate border, and the tentacles are 

 white. 



In the left centre of the illustration is seen a group of that 

 most beautful zoophyte which is known as the Red Organ-pipe 

 Coral (Tubipora rubeola [or syringaj). 



This handsome zoophyte is found chiefly off Carteret, in New 

 Ireland, and is grouped together in masses that are often many 

 yards in diameter. It is usually found in about two or three feet 

 of water, but is sometimes placed so high that at very low tides 

 it is laid bare by the receding waters. 



The animal which forms this wonderful tubing is cylindrical, 

 and the tentacles are pinkish, not possessing the brilliant red of 

 the tubes, and in its native state the animals envelop so com- 

 pletely the upper part of the general mass that the bright red 

 head is not perceptible. The coral masses are very fragile, and 

 will not bear the pressure of the human foot, crumbling beneath 

 the tread as if they were made of sugar. The tubes are beauti- 

 fully cylindrical, and do not adhere to each other, being kept 

 asunder by partitions, which precisely resemble the boards 

 through which the pipes of an organ are passed. 



They are very thin, though hard, and a rough pressure of the 

 hand will always damage them. My own specimen is now sadly 

 shorn of its original fair dimensions, at least half of its tubes hav- 

 ing been broken away by the rude grasp of servants' hands, just 

 as my best specimens of the paper nautilus and other fragile cu- 

 riosities were damaged before I learned to put them under lock 

 and key. 



The animal is not a large one, its length being scarcely greater 



