54 CORALS AND CORAL ISLANDS. 



New branches are made in such species by a forking of an 

 old one. The budding cluster enlarges as it grows, and, when 

 it is just beginning to pass the regular or normal size for the 

 species, a subdivision of the budding cluster commences at the 

 extremity of the branch. It is a process of spontaneous fis- 

 sion of a branch or stem. In this way the forking in the coral 

 of the figure on page 52 was produced, and also the branching 

 in that on page 53. 



Sometimes, again, the budding cluster is a linear series ; 

 and then a coral with erect, flattened or lamellar branches is 

 made. 



Again, sometimes each branch of the coralluin is only 

 the corallet of a single polyp ; and new branches are added by 

 the budding of new polyps from its sides, each to lengthen out 

 into a new branchlet. In this maimer the coral here figured, 



CI..ADOCORA AKBUSCULA. 



and many like it, were grown. It is a common species of the 

 West Indies. 



When the budding is not confined to any particular polyp, 

 or cluster of polyps, but takes place universally through the 

 n-rowin"" mass, the coral formed is more or less nearly hemi- 

 spherical ; and often the process goes on with such extreme 



