OF SUMATRA 9 



of the coral, or who inhabits the coral for its own im- 

 mediate satisfaction, is a question that has been much 

 agitated, without affording any certain conclusions. 

 Monsieur de Peyssonnel, after having inquired into 

 and discussed the various arguments for and against 

 coral's being a petrification or a congelation, con- 

 cludes that it is the work of an insect, w r hich he de- 

 nominates an Ur/ica, Purpura, or Polype, that con- 

 tracts in air, expands in water, and is sensible to the 

 touch, or the action of an acid. From Marsigli's 

 experiment, as recited above, I think we may safely 

 conclude, that Peyssonnel mistook the matter, and 

 supposed a flower an insect ; for it is well known 

 that many flowers, on being plunged into an acid, will 

 exhibit signs of contraction and movement. We ob- 

 serve many growing substances, which are inhabited 

 by animals, or insects, merely for their convenience, 

 and not to promote the growth of such substances, 

 which they very frequently, on the contrary, retard. 

 If an animal can be supposed to produce such im- 

 mense bodies of this substance, as 1 shall have occa- 

 sion to mention, whence does it derive the prodigious 

 degree of nutriment requisite for the purpose, as it is 

 not found that it quits the centre of its striated habi- 

 tation ? why do not these vermlcuti marlni leave cells 

 behind them, as they advance the growth of the 

 coral ? We find none, but, on the contrary, the 

 surface uniformly smooth and even. As for the exr 

 ternal cells, they are the channels that convey nou- 

 rishment, and correspond to the fibres of plants. It 

 must remain, hpwever, in some degree, a doubt, 



whether 



