THE HONEYCOMB CORAL. 121 



suspect it -will be found to prevail extensively among 

 fishes. It is a subject worthy of investigation by 

 the comparative anatomist. The effect to the be- 

 holder, if he is in a position to see both the eyes 

 of the animal at a glance, is highly singular and 

 interesting. 



THE HONEYCOMB, COEAL. 



A person who has never seen if before cannot but 

 be struck with the appearance of a large leafy Coral 

 (Escharafoliacea), which grows in the form of broad 

 but thin plMes, twisted and involved in irregular folds, 

 and sending off other plates at right angles, so as to 

 constitute a sort of honeycombed structure, rising to 

 the height of five or six inches, and covering a space 

 even much greater than its height. Its colour when 

 recent is a fine light red or brownish orange, and its 

 aspect is so noble that one is tempted to think it 

 rather a production of the tropical seas than a native 

 of our northern cUme. It is always a welcome guest, 

 not only for itsintrinsic merits, — yet it is a charming 

 object in the Aquarium, — ^but also because of the 

 variety of animals which make their abode in its 

 ample winding chambers. The Prickly Scallop {Vec- 

 ten varius) is frequently, found in it ; it is usually 

 crowded with the little Masked Broad-claw {Parcel^ 

 lana longicornis), which plays at bo-peep in the gal- 

 leries ; the deep-water variety of Actinia clavata, and 

 A: helUs, occasionally occupy a chamber, and divers 

 kinds of Nereidous worms crawl freely through it. 

 A beautiful: specimen is now in my Tank, which has 

 grown like a noble crown around the summit of a 



M 



