440 The Commercial Products of the Sea, 



virginea, and now named Oculina virginea, the brainstone 

 coral {Mendriiia cej^ebrifonnis) ,thQ black coral {G . Antipathes) , 

 and the organ-pipe coral {Tubipora micsica), which takes its 

 name from the regular arrangement of its cylindrical dark 

 crimson tubes side by side. Being much cheaper than the 

 ordinary solid red coral, this last kind is frequently used 

 as a representative of coral in cabinets of economic 

 products. 



But it is with jeweller's coral that we have to deal, 

 which is alone used for articles of personal decoration and 

 works of art. Occasionally the red coral is found white, 



Fig. 31. 



Varieties of coral. 



or without any colouring matter ; the tips are bored, and 

 the pieces are threaded into negligees, or they are cut into 

 links for forming chains. At the Naples Maritime Inter- 

 national Exhibition a magnificent branch of black coral 

 from Trapani was shown, which formed a finish to the 

 trophy of aboriginal arms and weapons exhibited from the 

 Pacific. At Jedda there is a black coral fishery which 

 extends fifty miles north and south. From taking a fine 

 polish, the black is fashioned into beads and mouth-pieces 



