62 PHYSIOGNOMY OF PLANTS. 



(7) p. 8. " The collected labours of united Lithophytes." 



Following Linnaeus and Ellis, the calcareous zoophytes, 

 among which Madrepores, Meandrinse, Astrese, and Pocillo- 

 porse, especially, produce wall-like coral-reefs, are inhabited 

 by living creatures which were long believed to be allied to 

 the Nereids belonging to CuvierV Annelidas, The anatomy 

 of these gelatinous little creatures has been elucidated by 

 the ingenious and extensive researches of Cavolini, Savigny, 

 and Ehrenberg. We have learnt that in order to under- 

 stand the entire organization of what are called the rock- 

 building coral animals, the scaffolding which survives them, 

 i. e. } the layers ol lime, which in the form of thin delicate 

 plates or lamellse are elaborated by vital functions, must not 

 be regarded as something extraneous to the soft membranes 

 of the food-receiving animal. 



Besides the more extended knowledge of the wonderful 

 formation of the animated coral stocks, there have been 

 gradually established more accurate views respecting the 

 influence exercised by corals on other departments of 

 Nature, on the elevation of groups of low islands above 

 the level of the sea> on the migrations of land-plants and 

 the successive extension of the domains of particular Floras, 

 and, lastly, in some parts of the ocean, on the diffusion of 

 races of men, and the spread of particular languages. 



As minute organic creatures living in society, corals do 

 indeed perform an important part in the general economy 

 of Nature, although they do not, as was begun to be believed 

 at the time of Cook's voyages, enlarge continents and build 



