18 
Tank No. 21. 
Closely allied to Astroides is Dendrophyllia (Fig. 11), the skeleton 
of which consists of pure white carbonate of lime and forms large branches. 
(Tank 21). The polypes are of the colour of 
sulphur and exhibit in the expanded condition 
a fine ring of tentacles. This form is fairly 
common on the coral banks of the Bay of Naples. 
The branching of the corals takes place 
by means of the two methods of reproduction 
termed "fission” and "budding” respectively. 
In the case of "fission” one organism splits 
into two or more parts, each of which will 
develop into a complete individual. This 
process has often been observed to take place; 
it has also been successfully brought about 
by dividing a living animal into suitable 
pieces, which have then been allowed to 
grow on and form complete polypes. A si¬ 
milar fission takes place in the case of the 
Coral-polypes, but with this important diffe¬ 
rence, that the fission is not complete, but 
Fig. 11. Dendrophyllia ramea, 
1/2 nat. size. The branch pro¬ 
jects from a stone and bears 
two living and three dead in¬ 
dividuals (polypes). Tank 21. 
both pieces remain attached at some fixed 
point. The two individuals form calcareous 
coverings, which of course remain united one 
to the other. Repeating this fission there 
can arise a colony of corals, and in the course 
of centuries those immense coral-reefs of 
which mention has been made above. The 
second and even more rapid process of re¬ 
production is that of budding. In this case 
the parental polype remains intact, but at 
some point or other of its body a new 
growth begins, from which, as from a bud, 
a new individual is formed; this in the 
case of the Corals does not separate from 
the first individual, but remains attached to 
it. The whole colony is either supported 
internally or surrounded externally by the 
calcareous framework or covering, which 
the individuals form themselves; when they 
are dead, this retains the appearance of 
trees or bushes, or assumes other curious 
shapes. But whatever may be their form or 
r>nlmir it, must alwavs be remembered that 
which have been formed by millions of 
small polypes. Of these many hundreds of generations have already died, 
while their offspring, the present generation, stretch out their delicate 
tentacles like tiny feathery crowns from the pores of the coral-trees. 
