The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-01
Ayers Cathartic Pills.

Ayers CathartiC Pills.
to any current will be carried with that
current until the time is reached when it
sinks to the bottom and there becomes at
tached and forms coral chalk.
Distribution as to depth is another point
why we do not find the coral, especially on
the western shores of the American con-
tinent where the slope of the beach down
ward is very rapid. The water is too deep,
as is also true of further off-shore regions,
being one and one-half miles to two miles
deep on the western coast of Guadaloupc.
The old idea that the corals rested on
the bottom and grew to the surface is true
only partially. Two early authors found
living corals did not exist beyond the
depth of about eighteen to twenty faith
oms. This was settled by Darwin's works
who made a special study Of this In the
South Pacific islands. This is true for the
Pacific.
On the Florida reefs we do not find the
corals below ten fathoms. Besides this
distribution in altitude (the depth of the
water is distribution in another direction
We never find corals in the vicinity of
river mouths.
A reef running along the shore and cut
open just as if hewn out is because at
this point a river or large stream has
come down and emptied itself into the
water; and the sediment carried down
there, dropping on the coral polyps, killed
them.
The barrier reef in Honolulu existed in
front of the position where the town now
is; and very distinct opening was found
in it, whcih was due to the flow of small
river into the ocean at this place-its sed-
In nov oh IL ~sa-1.N
The corals on the reef there are divided
into two sections-those on the outer edge
hard, compact forms-the heavy corals;
while in the water between the outer reef
and the land or interior circle of coral
reef the atolD occur the branching forms.
The brain coral shows, by its compact
ness, that 1t will stand any amount of
surf-the polyps can Withstand the beat
and swash of waters at this point; while
i'm the delicate forms found in the interior
of the reef, where the water is still and
the surf does not act, is developed that
style of growth which runs out in several
branching forms.
When a coral polyp in embryo springs
into activity in water that is not too deep,
1t there takes hold and starts coral col
ony and grows to the surface-simply to
the surface Of low water level. They are
not found in many cases growing much
above the level of low water, because a
very short exposure to the sun kills them,
and they cannot there grow. Two hours
OF sun will kill most of the corals. So we
have the limit in this direction.
Then we have also to consider the enc
mics Of coral. One is sediment. A coral
reef is a perfect garden geological of the
sea. We have there fish that live and are
found nowhere else-ish browsing upon
the coral branches. They are generally
highly colored fish, with hard, solid jaws,
by which they can bite the coral branches
right OFF, They swallow the coral-the
lime with the polyp-and on opening a
great many of these fish the coral
branches are found in their intestines.
They dissolve off the coral polyp. which,
Of course, Is their nutrition.
Then we have the worms that bore
through the corals; for instance, a
branch is broken OF by a fish-a worm
will find an exposed surface and bore a
hole through the branch, and thus weak
en- coral branch so that In rough wealth
er IL will break to pieces. and so we have
continually all over the reef these pieces
OF coral being gradually reduced to sand
or small pieces.
Another point In studying the coral reefs
is the rate of growth. on this we are
not very well informed simple block
OF coral taken from a reef shows the low
er portion perfectly dead, and the coral
polyps forming on this commenced to
establish a new coral. While the coral
is growing, a little mollusc will get into
the polyp and there establish Itself and
through the agency Of a continual cur
rent OF water which IL passes i'm and
out by means OF It's slphon. Il keeps the
hole open. Sometimes these holes are
due to worms, and they can be in there
In the Philippine Islands certain crabs
live within the coral, as the oyster crab
lives within the oyster. The continual
action OF the arms brings In to them the
small objects OF food upon which they
live.
As to the growth OF corals. we have
one interesting amount establishing pret-
~ certainly the growth In some partieu-
lar forms, the branching madrepores OF
the West Indies In 1893 the English Sc
vera was wrecked OF Turks Island. north
OF the island OF Haiti, In the West Indies
In 1851 a gentleman went down 20 visit
this wreck In a diving dress. lie found
on the quarterback growing madrepores
that were twelve inches In diameter
with branches sixteen feet high. Taking
the hight, sixteen feet we find la sixtv
four years the rate OF growth was three
inches a year, which is pretty rapld
growth, but remember that there are "A
great many polyps al work ana the
branches are not very thick and they wor,.
In all directions
The massive corals grow much more
slowly. and a few experiments have been
made on the shores OF Madagascar by TAX
ing certain favoring stretches OF water
and allowing new corals to form there
and measuring the growth In certain Co
raj islands that are inhabited certsin
coral channels are apt TO on up. and the
people cut those channels out. the time
intervening between one cut-out and tho