CORAL 615 



for rosaries and charms, and is often offered to the dead, with the belief that it has 

 the power of preventing the occupation of the body by evil spirits. 



A moderately large amount of coral is ex])orted to America, especially to South 

 America, and also to Australia. The taste for coral for ornamental purposes would 

 appear to be confined to partially civilised peoj)lcs, for attempts to substitute coral for 

 glass beads in dealing with uncivilised tribes have been wholly unsuccessful, the more 

 glittering and much cheaper glass being in every case preferred to coral. 



Genuine coral possessing a considerable intrinsic value is of course subject to imitation, 

 and a large amount of imitation coral of various kinds is sold at very low prices. Some 

 of the substances used for the manufacture of imitation coral-beads are red gypsum, which, 

 however, can be readily distinguished from genuine coral by the fact that it does not 

 effervesce when touched by acid, and can be scratched even \\ith the finger-nail ; bone, burnt 

 and coloured red; powdered marble mixed with isinglass and coloured with cinnabar or 

 red-lead ; and even red sealins-wax. 



The black coral which has been previously mentioned represents the first stage in the 

 decomposition of precious red coral. The black coral, to be now briefly described, 

 is black by nature, and constitutes the skeleton of the coral known to zoologists as 

 Antipathes spiralis (Pall.), belonging to the order Antipatharia. The shining pitch- 

 black, branched skeleton of the stock formed by this coi'al may reach a length of 2 feet, 

 and a thickness of some inches. It is formed not of a calcareous, but of a horny substance, 

 and single pieces of this kind of black coral can therefore be moulded to form armlets and such 

 like. The material is found in the Indian Ocean, and is known in that region by the name 

 of " akabar." It is much esteemed there, and often constitutes the substance of which the 

 sceptres used by native kings and princes are made, hence the term king's-coral, which 

 is also applied to it Black coral of a similar kind is found in the Mediterranean, where it 

 is known as " giojetto." 



On the Cameroon and Gulf coasts, blue coral was formerly fished and worked 

 into ornaments, which were much prized by the negroes. It is known to the natives 

 as " akori,'' and to zoologists as Allopora subviolacea. It has disappeared from the 

 West African markets for a long period, and therefore needs no further consideration. 



