Lying loose on them I found fine heads of live Meandrinat, 
the Gracilis and others, their polyps of a lustrous green, and 
various small Astrceas of all shades of green aud brown. The 
beautiful silver grey Poecillipora elongata so rare at Mauritius 
was here abundant and covered with serpulas, many of theii 1 
animals of the brightest Rcarlet. I found some pieces of n 
Pcecillopora near the elongata quito new to me, but all dead. 
The fiue rose tinted P. Gcespitosa was plentiful, its square 
fairy cups filled with a snow white polyp. Thero were large 
pieces of dead P. verrucosa so much sought for by the coral 
vendors for bleaching as the branches are solid as well as 
elegant, unlike the fragile Madrepora alcicornis which breaks 
at a touch. I saw a great deal of it, but mostly broken. The 
tips are of delicate blue, and the vendors often colour this and 
other corals to imitate nature, an imitation that looks as if it 
had been dipped in a blue bag ! 
“ Like loveliest gems lay the pink and lilac tipped Madrepora 
alirantanoules, (1) their cups resembling exquisite lace work. 
Fungi from the size of a crown piece to a platter lay all about, 
and numbers of other corals some well known and others new 
to me. 
“ Sporting amongst these treasures of Oceau were innumera- 
ble fish their scaly sides shewing combinations of colour so 
marvellous that when drawn they appear impossibilities, or 
would do so had we not daily verifying proof in our fish mar- 
ket. I was surprised at the scarcity of E chinas, star fish etc. 
but crabs of all sizes and hues were abundant, scrambling and 
scampering about the rocks, and hiding in the crevices when 
disturbed with a celerity defying capture. I detached a tube 
of a large and curious Tubicolous Annelide, the elegant arbo 
rescent appendages brilliantly tinted with violet, yellow and 
red. These tentacles which form the respirating apparatus of 
the animal are drawn in instantoneouly at a touch, the quick- 
est case of collapse I know ; though how ho tucks in the largo 
feathery head and his stiff body into the comparatively small 
case is a wonder — but once his door is shut by thick fleshy 
(1) I use the word Corals in the ordinary acceptation to save a repeti- 
tion of scientific words ; of oonr-o it U well known Madroporos and others 
are not true Corals. 
