The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-11-12

DO Not Toll: i1ey simply bic-EE@G-
tiful Animal Vegetables.
The term coral insect survives in
literature, although science discarded it
long ago. Possibly the idea " -t1.-
and patience and -building for tho
future as the lesson taught By the coral
insect, also survives - point a moral and
adorn a tale Of the same order as one
praising the industry Ct the ant Or the
be. Alas for old beliefs, Our grand
mothers were ezho-ted II reflect on the
vanity Of the moth and the butterfly.
Now il i known that the moth and
the butterfly are among the chief agents
BIZ which the most beautiful and fra
grant flowers are ~ferrll1zed. ard that
honey AMI perfume and color and frui=
largely depend upon the energy Of tIe
insects formerly despised. The other
50 called insects have no mor eEar-r
than a simple vegetable existence. T.sc
toll Is nothing greater than dvi-g and
leaving their skeletons behind them.
But how beautiful are these skeletons.
or a conglofaerate1 accumulation q
myriads, Ard how beautiful and inter
esting. too. the animal vegetable. Or
rather fowerlike animals. 'Ssa aEA1l-
ones il the popular name given To tie
whole tribe with their DISLIKE months.
their pefal0id ~tenracles. their stomach
suggestin. seed vessels and their fxeI
bases corresponding 70 stout stems. %
z- xlsz.-. - -
rivaling the most gorgeous corGilas ever
blown.
According 10 DR.. Guseav Eseu. there
are two kinds Of corals of the SEA a,c1n-
one order-those which Produce coral,
that Is, the hard. c~aicareo4s formation.
and those which do not. The p~ayular
term coral" a. applied to the accUmU-
lated dead skeletons Of the dead Ial :.
Is not strictly correct; coral. properly
speaking, refers also to the living ami
ma.
The sea flower, although suggesting a
plantlike structure. il still q frl. AMI
NAL. 1t has a skin, also ~ra1ilneutary
nerves. L can seize with lis 1eutacies:
it can swallow and digest its food and
lLID0 Jul bbE }EAi4s[ 1IDIl IL-slttDILI. IL
can defend itself from its enemies By
forcibly ejecting poison from Is many
stings. II has some sensation. Quite q
number Of species of polyps have rUdi-
mentary eyes. arranged around their
circular edges like beads. The hardened
base Of the sea flower corresponds 70
a skeleton III q higher Grder of animal.
,vy1,, %Il,.,L -. .Ef -
ness may only be relative.
Coral animals Of the sea anemone or
der reproduce their kind in several WAYS.
One is by ova, which develop perfect
polyps within the parent flower. An
other mode Is BY budding, still another
by fssion. In the latter method Il new
month may form beside the old or. in
the center Of a frin2ed disk, which then
divides into disks, each surrounded by
It's own tentaclcs and each leading 10 il,
OWL closed FAC. II the budding proceS,
branches are thrown out. from which
spring new rolyp. Tear one roiyp 70
pieces, and each piece may reproduce
all the parts it needs to form z fresh
polyp.
The familiar trce coral Is the result
of the budding process. TIE branches
below are the dead skeletons. above
which the living rolyps have mounted.
The singular c9nvulHtjc.s i'll ''brain
coral" we're caused BY fssion. c2e mouth
giving rise 10 strings Of others. which
completely separated from esca
other, and 50 left a continuous line ~
stony skeletons. i must rot be sur-
posed, however, that zoophytea If the
style Of sea anemoncs are tie only coral
producers. Some calca"e0Gs secret;ons
are left by animals related to the me
dusR, or jellyfish. Other c0rals come
from the ~bryoZoans. which look like pol
Ups, but really belong to the subking-
dom Of molluaks. The bottom If the
sea is largely covered with deposits from
such animals. It is even believed tha1
in early times they made III the greater
part Of limestone strata. Mention t.rst
also be made Of the beautiful and bril-
liant corallines, or vegetable corals. cal
careous s~eaweeds. which look like ted.
white and yellow hranchcd coral. bur
which, properly speaking. are algae.
Corals Of some kinds are found i'll Ill
seas. Those stony formations popularly
called corals are mostly produced within
the tropics. Probably the variety best
known is the red or pinI, coral, long e.
teemed for ornaments. This was found
in the Mediterranean from q very early
period. Now, however, it has become
SO rare as to be practically ezttIct.
The specimens Of coral seen in mn
seums and private collections are Of
course masses of dead skeletons. Hard
as rock they are, as might be expected
when it Is remembered that the fanou