coral, could not divest himself of this idea; but, gifted as he was with great sagacity and penetration, not being convinced, either from his own observations or those of others, that coral was a mere plant, and still less that it was stone, he imagined, that the milky juice which drops from the pores of fresh coral, was it seed; which, being dispersed in the sea, is precipitated and gradually accumulated in a regular form in the capsules nature provides for it.

"This opinion, tending to alienate naturalists from the belief of the vegetable nature of coral, was entirely removed by the publication of the valuable and erudite work of the celebrated Conte Marsilli, entitled Storia del Mare; who, led away by his imagination, or rather deriving little aid from the state of natural philosophy at that time, suggested the idea, that the moveable substances at the extremity of the branches were the octopetalous flowers of the coral, and thus revived the old opinion.

"Tournefort, who, in the pursuit of his favourite study of body, had remarked the vegetation of stones in the grotto of Antiparos, eagerly adopted this idea; and was folJowed by Ray, Boerhaave, Klein, and many others of that time.

"No sooner had naturalists begun again to take up the observations of Baccone, than they discovered in the hard substance of coral a sort of earthy concretion: but this not being sufficient to induce them to expunge it from the list of vegetable substances, they considered it-as a marine plant encrusted with calcareous earth deposited by the sea. Lehman was of this opinion, to which the mineralogist Baumer was also much inclined.

"Our Ferrante Imperato, in his work on natural history (which, like many other works of the ancients, has been almost buried in oblivion, though well deserving our attention from its containing the principles of many important truths, which have since been brought to light), had already supposed, that some of the species of coral were merely the habitation of marine worms. This opinion had so múch of probability, that it has always been entertained by naturalists since; and the discovery of the po lypi assists to explain on solid principles the true nature and origin of coral and on this account the works of Peyssonnel, Jussieu, Guetaid, Trembley, Reaumur. Donati, Ellis, Pallas, Cavolini, Spallanzani, and many others in coral, became so interesting. Cora! is found round nearly all the Mediterranean islands, Pliny and Dioscorides speak much in praise of that found in the Sicilian seas in their time. It is fi-hed for at present on every part of the shores of Sicily

:

"The Messineze collect a great quantity in those straits, even as far as Melazzo: but the Trapanese, who are chiefly employed in working the coral, not only fish it in the neighbouring seas about the Eolian and other islands, but extend their search to all the southern shores as far as Cape Passaro, and beyond Siracuse, and even to the coast of Barbary. They are obliged to occopy so large an extent of sea; as they cannot fish again on the same spot for several years, the re-production of coral requiring a great length of time, even nearly eight years. I have myse f collected it on the shores of Catania, and thence as far as Taormina.

"The instrument with which the coral

coral is detached from the bottom of the sea has been known, a long time. It is composed of a large wooden cross, having fastened to each of its four extremities nets sufficiently capacious to enclose the coral, which is broken from its root by a large stone hanging from the centre of the cross. The instrument is let down by two ropes from the boats employed in this fishery into the sea, and after remaining a sufcient time it is drawn up by a windlass. The Trapanese claim the

invention of this machine.

"From my own observations, and from the most accurate information I have been able to obtain from the people employed in this fi-hery, I am persuaded, that the coral grows indiscriminitely on all hard substances, as rocks, shells, &c.-I have seen it attached to an earthen vessels, which had some time fallen into the sea, and was taken out in my presence. The usual appearance of coral is that of a tree without leaves. It never grows to a greater height than twelve inches, and is seldom an inch thick. The direction of its branches extends always forwards from the spot to which the root is attached; therefore when it grows on the top of à cavern they spread downwards; if from a horizontal surface upwards: most commonly however the branches extend downwards, which enables the nets to enclose it with greater facility when detached by the

stone.

"It has been constantly remarked, that the broken branches of coral attach themselves to some hard substances where they continue their growth. It is very common to find many branches of coral, when taken out of the sea, perforated in seveal parts. There can be no doubt,

that this is the work of the litho phagi; worms which attack even the hardest substances, for it is well known that they pierce and destroy the hardest carbonate of lime. The coral (isis nobilis, Linnei) which is most eagerly sought after, is of a fine red colour. Artists and ladies give it the preference. It improves the charms of a beautiful face. Naturalists describe all the varieties; two original colours in coral may be established, white and red, as the two extremes, the gradations of shade from the one to the other producing infinite varieties, among which five principal may be distinguished.

1st. The deep, red coral resembling in colour minium. This is considered as the most perfect sort; in fact, it is the largest and most dense, and receives the highest polish. It is commonly called the

male coral.

2. Red coral. This is more or less clear, but always less brilliant, than the first variety.

3d.

Flesh-coloured coral. The ancients call it light red.

4tb. Dull white coral: by some it is called fawn coloured, from its resemblance to the colour of the fawn.

5th. Clear white coral. All these varieties are found in the seas round the island, sometimes on the same spot. The first and second are not so abundant or common as the others.

"The extremities of coral, when extracted from the sea, are swelled and rounded, resembling juniper berries. Probably these were the berries remarked by Pliny, which he considered as the fruit of the coral; although in his work he asserts that they are white and soft under water, and become hard and

red

red out of it. I am inclined to believe, either, that he wrote from the reports of others, or that he bas mistaken for them the red globules formed by the artist. These extremities when pressed, give out a white unctuous fluid resembling milk, which has a sour taste. It was formerly thought to be the seed and nutritious juice of the coral plant.

The substance of coral is hard as well in the sea, as when out. The red kind is red from the first, and it is a singular circumstance, that the ancients should have entertained these two erroneous opinions, which the most simple examination would have falsified.The central part or axis of the coral is hard, of a firm solid texture, even, and lamellated; and hence capable of taking the finest polish. This is enclosed by a paler coloured bark of a granulated texture, interspersed with holes in the form of stars with eight rays. In the coral of the largest size sometimes is found a kind of joint or union between the different pieces of which it is composed, these having the appearance of tubes of some length, lying one above the other. In the analysis of coral we obtain a small quantity of gelatinous animal matter, a large proportion of carbonate of lime, and a little iron. The different colours of this beautiful marine production seem to depend on the different degrees of oxidation of the iron, and various proportions of it in union with the animal matter. The discovery of polypi gave the clearest idea of the origin and growth of coral. These animals, the last in the scale of animated nature, form for themselves small nests sufficiently solid to shelter and protect them. These

soft and delicate animals, surround- . ed by an element in a constant state of agitation, and exposed to the attacks of their numerous enemies, were instructed by nature to form for themselves a covering capable of resisting the percussion of the sea, and affording them a retreat in the moment of danger.

- These coralligenous polypi are only a few lines in length; their bodies elongate and ramify into eight delicate threadlike branches around the mouth. These are the arms and legs of the animal, which it can extend and spread out at will to a considerable distance in search of its food. They are analogous to the horns of the snail. The curious manner of propagation of polypi, so different from that of other larger and more perfect animals, is well known; on examining minutely the gelatinous bodies of these polypi, a great number of grains, or little buds, are discernible, covering the surface; these elongate themselves, increase in thickness, diverge and spread in all directions, and become young polypi. Scarcely are these developed, before a new series of sprouts appears from their small bodies by the increase and growth of the small buds on their surface By this rapid succession the family is propagated in every direction, forming as it were a genealogical tree of existing generations. It is well known how from the soft nature of their bodies these animals are enabled to unite and engraft with each other in the same manner as plants; and one branch of these animalculæ so engrafted lives and regenerates another. Even one single animal' may detach itself from the family tree, and establish on another spot

a new