RADIATA. 
THE CORAL, AND CORALLINES. 
THE Coral is a hard, stony, branched, and cylindrical 
substance, which is formed at the bottom of the sea by 
animals called polypes, the whole forming a living mass, 
or polypidom, all the polypes in which are united under 
one skin, and have only one common stomach. The 
general appearance of Coral is that of a shrub destitute 
of leaves ; and its height is usually from three to four 
feet. It is found in great abundance in the Mediterranean 
and the Red Sea. 
To the inhabitants of Marseilles, Catalonia, and Cor- 
sica, the Coral fishery is a very important pursuit ; and 
the principal parts of the Mediterranean from which 
Coral is obtained are the coasts of Tunis and Sardinia, 
and the mouth of the Adriatic Sea. The Coral thus ob- 
tained is conveyed chiefly to Malta and Sicily, is there 
wrought into beads and other ornamental forms, and 
thence exported to other countries. 
The mode of obtaining Coral is by a very simple ma- 
chine, consisting of two strong bars of wood or iron tied 
across each other, with a weight suspended from their 
centre of union. Each of the arms is loosely surrounded, 
through its whole length, with twisted hemp ; and, at 
the extremity, there is a small open purse or net. The 
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