114 THE MADREPORE. 



animal mainly depends. (See figs. 1 and 3.) Some- 

 times it is a deeper chestnut, sometimes a fine rich red ; 

 sometimes pale vermillion ; and not seldom the most 

 brilliant emerald green, as brilliant as the gorget of a 

 Humming-bird. The hue, whatever it be, is usually 

 continued in a fainter tint around and among the 

 bases of the tentacles, until it is lost in the fawn- 

 colour or pale bay of the outer margin.* The ten- 

 tacles are conical in shape, tapering from a broadish 

 base almost to a point, but terminating in a little 

 globular head. The head is generally white, rarely 

 tipped with pink, nearly opaque ; but the body of the 

 tentacle is transparent, and almost colourless, but 

 studded all over with very minute opaque warts, 

 close- set, and frequently arranged in irregular lines ; 

 these are of a rich sienna-brown, varying in intensity, 

 and give a very peculiar character to the aspect of 

 the animal. Indeed it is impossible to look at it 

 through a lens, and that whether as a transparent 

 object up against the light, or as an opaque one, with 

 a dark background, without being charmed by the 

 elegant form and pleasing effect of these little knob- 

 bed organs, curling and waving here and there at the 

 wayward will of the creature. (See Plate XXVI. 

 fig. 4). 



It is not uncommon, however, to find specimens in 

 which the colours are so very evanescent, that the 



*A singularly good representation of a highly-coloured specimen of 

 our Madrepore may be obtained by cutting across a ripe strawberry of 

 moderate size. The mouth with its painted margin, the vandyke cir- 

 cle of flesh-colour, and even the radiating white plates are all there 

 with felicitous vraisemblancc. 



