THE ARCHIPELAGO OF BREHAT. 109 



which we breathe. Do not therefore accuse them 

 of curiosity or coquetry, because you see them so 

 constantly display their richly ornamented heads. 

 But rather take advantage of this habit engendered 

 by necessity, and carefully examine these marvellous 

 forms. No microscope or lens can aid us here. Do 

 but drop into a basin of sea-water this fragment of 

 rock and this old shell, whose surface is covered 

 with Serpulas, Vermilias, and Cymospires. Observe 

 the prudent caution with which that little round 

 plate rises above each tube, which it is designed to 

 close hermetically so that your eyes cannot penetrate 

 to the interior. This is the shutter of the house ; 

 see, it is moving, the animal will soon show himself. 

 Look, and you will see below that operculum bud- 

 like patches of dark violet or rich carmine in one 

 part, and of a blue or orange tint in another, while 

 still further on appear tufts of every hue. See them 

 expand little by little until they have displayed the 

 whole of their thousand coloured branches, similar 

 in form to a plume of ostrich or marabout feathers. 

 You are a witness of the evolution of veritable 

 flowers, more beautiful by far than the blossoms of 

 our gardens, for these are living flowers. On the 

 least shock, on the slightest shaking of the fluid, these 

 brilliant petals close, and disappearing with the 

 rapidity of lightning, they retire within their stony 

 tubes, whence they may defy their enemies from 

 beneath the shelter of their operculum. 



Here we have the Chaetopteri, allies of the errant 

 Annelids, which look as if the middle of their bodies 

 had been crushed, while they carry their intestine 



