The Madness of Fishes 



of turquoise, wound in and out among groves of coral, 

 and crossing this we shot along over the city of the 

 coral polyp. The great mass of points were olive- 

 hued. Here patches of leaf coral in palmate form; 

 on the edge of the channel huge heads four or five 

 feet across and three or more in height, some hol- 

 lowed out like vases and filled with groups of fishes 

 with all the hues of the rainbow. The color display 

 was a delight to the eye. The prevailing hue was 

 olive, broken here and there with brilliant patches of 

 yellow, brown, and lilac, where the fan of plume-like 

 gorgonias waved in the gentle current. 



Suddenly the boat passed out upon a sandy bottom 

 of opaline hue, where pink-lipped conches lumbered 

 along and ugly holothurians stretched their lazy 

 lengths. Then presently we drifted over a carpet of 

 algae, delicate tufts of exquisite green, lace-like vines 

 of the most delicate design, among which were small 

 heads of meandrinae, columns of white and black 

 echini standing out in strong relief. These were the 

 gardens of the sea, indeed; forests in miniature, peo- 

 pled by finny birds of gorgeous coloring, which added 

 to the splendor of this world of silence. 



As we neared the key a low intense noise became 

 apparent, growing louder and louder as the boat 

 neared the shore ; then, as her bow ran into the white, 

 sandy beach, gulls rose upward in such prodigious 

 numbers that they formed a dark cloud over the key, 

 which could be distinctly seen two miles away. 



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