92 ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



animal mouths instantly out of sight, within the 

 structure which constitutes its cell. The coral 

 tree reminded them of the bare trunk and 

 branches of a veritable tree denuded of its 

 leaves. The brown film or membrane covering 



o 



the whole was, the doctor said, the connecting 

 tunic that held and united the community. 

 " E plwribus unum" he said, " is their motto, 

 and how many in one we may imagine when we 

 note the individual blocks that lie upon the reef, 

 or even one of the single trees of this forest be- 

 neath us." 



As they looked down into the clear water 

 they noticed that some of the tips of the 

 branches were white, and denuded of the soft, 

 brown covering or mantle, and soon discovered 

 the cause. Lying across the top branches was a 

 great caterpillar-like worm, longer than one's 

 hand. As Tom introduced his hook under it, 

 and slowly lifted it, they saw that it had fully 

 an inch of the extremity of a branch in its 

 mouth, which it had sucked bare of animal 

 matter. 



Slowly they drifted along, Long John hold- 



