62 



CORAL AND ATOLLS 



capable of propelling themselves through the water, and of being 

 carried far and wide by currents, and in this way they are able 

 to establish new colonies at a distance from the parent growth. 

 It is well known to the inhabitants of the atoll that the 

 corals do reproduce themselves by freely floating embryos, and 



Fig. 6 



"Ien.ta.cles of the 

 pa.rtly exparrded 

 ZooicL. 



ZpitKeha.1 layer 



Stomoida.eum 



Tissue in wKick 

 calcificition 

 IS proceeding 



A Section through a Portion of an Alcyonarian Coral 



TO SHOW THE RELATIONS OF THE ZOOID TO ITS SKELETON. 



it is a common thing to hear it said that a particular wreck 

 or boulder became quickly encrusted with coral growth 

 because it happened to settle down when the corals were 

 spawning. 



It would hardly be expected that in an environment so 

 uniform throughout the year's cycle the corals would have 

 a definite breeding season, and yet reproductive activity 

 evidently undergoes periods of waxing and waning. At 



