The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-06-07

Coral Makers

Coral Makers
There Is q very curious, wonderful and
beautiful little, creature, living in the
sea, so small and simple in it's construc-
ton, that to look at it, without knowing
AapEthipgs about it, one might suppose
- ~ ac6fif6 bS OF very sssSssssssf L. ..nHeets
But " things are not what they seem, y
the poet tells us; and very true it is, in
this case, for the polyps-that Is the
name of the family to which this little
animal belongs) insignificant as they ap-
pear in our eyes, are really very useful.
Different kinds are found in almost all
the seas, rivers and lakes on the globe.
They are of various sizes and forms. We
shall eonfine ourselves, in this article, to
some varieties found only in tropical seas.
Some of these perform An immense and
important work, no less than the build
ing of islands for man to live on. One
tiny creature cannot, of course, do much
toward such a grand result; but the
large family working together in in
Vulnerable numbers, beautifully illustrate
the truth of the axiom, In union Ia
strength"
The polyps, as has been said, vary in
size, some being several inches lorg,
others, too small to be seen without the
help OF microscope. They have neither
heads, legs, feet, hearts, lungs nor other
organs which higher animals have; COLI
sequently, they are without sense or
motion.
A polyp may be described as sack
or bag, with an opening at one end. This
opening is surrounded by fringe of fine,
threadlike things called tentscles or feel
ers. We will call them arms. also,
because the animal uses them not only
as feelers, but also to seize, grasp, hold
and push with. The opening into the
back is called a mouth, not because it
looks Ike one, but because of its admit
ing food TO the sack-like stomach Weak
and defenseless IS this odd little mite of
q being is, when seized by enemies more
powerful than itself. it shows itself brave
in securing its own prey among creatures
still smaller
The polyp is very greedy. 1t fastens
itself to leaf, plant or rock under the
water, and when it is huDgry--as it
almest Slways is-it stretches out its
arms In search OF food. Whatever
comes within their reach is quickly seized
and pushed into the stomach. Some
times the thing seized is larger than the
pelyp. But that makes no difference as
to the victims fate, provided it is not
strong enough to free itself. 1t is pushed
and crammed into the captcr's mouth,
and held there by its many arms until it
is digeated.
Unwary little worms-for there are
worms in the water as well as on land
often come too near the polyp for their
own safety, and, in spite of all their
squirming and wriggling, they have to
90 the wayof all flesh that is not stronger
than the polyp.
1t Is almost impossible to kill one Of
these strange little animals. Probably
the only way of doing 80 is either TO
keep it out of water until it dies, or
grind it to atoms. Possibly even then
the atoms would live, for if a polyp is
cut into two parts, the mouth will keep
on swallowing, even though the food
drops through the opening made by the |
cut, ss fast as it is taken in at the mouth. |
IF the creature is ali cut up into pieces, |
these pieces will live right on, and,
strange to say, each one will grow until |
it becomes a complete polyp. If only an
arm is cut off, the arm will live, grow
and become the parent of large family. |
Once a polyp was turned inside ont. |
What did it do? Die? Not bit of it. |
1t went right on living and taking in |
food just as if nothing unusual had hap |
pened. The outside of its body seemed |
10 make just rs good lining as the |
original inside, although the polyp sp- |
peared to be consciouso of its false position
and made many unsuccessful efforts to |
put itself right again before the world. |
The baby polyps of one branch of the |
family grow like buds on the body of the |
mother. Just as soon as the bud is per-
Iected. it puts out bud too, and this
bud sends out another, and so on until |
one polyp becomes the parent of many. |
AS soon as the youngster becomes of age
Il leaves the parental home and starts |
on its own account, and |
prepares to send forth numerous pro-
zeny into the werld. This kind of poIyp |
Is inclided to solitude. Each one lives |
by itself and sends its children away from |
home to shift for themselves as soon as
possible. But they have relatives of a
more social turn.
THE CORAL MAKING POLYPs.
They live in large communities, each |
one occupying its own apartment or
,ell. They work together most industri-
,usly in perfect order and harmony. A
,oral.maker's baby does not grow as the
solitary polyp's infant does. 1t is at
first only drop of jelly provided with
4 fringe of fine hair-like appendages
called ella. These ella enable it to
swim about in the water. They are
IN constant motion. This tiny drop of
a thing is left by its mother to take care
Of itself during its bsbyhood. For a
time it leads free and careless kind of
life, enjoying itself, no doubt, unless it
happens to be gobbled up by some
greedy and unfeeling fish. After a
while it fastens itself by its ella to a
rock, or piece of coral, and settles down.
Then the ella being no longer necessary
for its motion, become quiet
Changes begin to take place in the
young polyp's appearance. The little
lump of jelly begins to swell itself up
into tube-like shape. A kind of rim
Is tosmed around tho top edge of the
Lube. This is the beginning of the
house, or frame work, or, more probably,
The skeleton which the little creature IL
going to make tor itself. Then little