46 
CORAL GALLERY. 
blance to vegetable growths ; but the part exhibited is merely 
the dried, hard, horny, or stony basis or supporting skeleton, 
either of isolated individuals, or of colonies. Corals are allied 
to the well-known Sea-anemones of our coasts ; the combined 
skeletons of myriads of these animals form the coral-reefs which 
constitute the base of thousands of islands in the Indo-Pacific 
Ocean. Among the larger reef-making species are the Brain- 
Corals (Meandrina), one of which is shown in the accompanying 
Fig. 17. — A Brain-Coral (Meandrina cerehriformis). 
cut (fig. 17). Near the west end of the gallery is placed a magnifi- 
cent specimen of the Black Coral of the Mediterranean {Gerardia 
savalia), obtained off the coast of the island of Euboea in the 
^gean Sea. The drawing in the case shows a magnified 
view of the " animals " or polyps of this species as they appear 
in life. In case 13 are specimens and drawings of the Ked 
Coral {Corcdlium ruhrurri), so largely used for ornamental pur- 
poses, and also of the crimson Organ-pipe Coral (Tuhipora 
mv.nca). Arranged on shelves on the south wall of the 
