The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-07-22

THE CORAL.
g.
DR.. Duerden is In
vestisating
PoIyps.
CFrom Wednesdays Advertiser.y

iFTOfn wednesday AuNeTtlSeT.I
I'm just fixing some crab soup for
my specimens" said DR.. ]. e. Duerden
of the University of Michigan when
asked about his work yesterday after
noon. The professor was found on the
lanai of the Aquarium surrounded by
bottles and jars filled with precious
specimens of live coral and shelves
covered with the skeletons of dead
ones. The doctor was just engaged in
squirting the contents of tube in
which the remains of a crab had been
mixed with sea water into the eager
clutches of a sea anemone which wrig-
gled eager tentacles in the direction Of
the food.
DR.. Duerden is at present engaged in
the study of living corals under the
auspices of the Carnegie Institute.
Yesterday he gave the following inter-
esting description of his work:
What is familiarly known as coral
represents but the skeleton produced
by small animal often spoken of as
the coral insect but in no way related
to insects as understood by biologists.
Properly these are called coral polyps.
They constitute the soft part of the
coral and it is upon these that 1 am
engaged
THE hard, skeleton parts. have been
already very much studied as they are
abundant in most museums but very
little scientific research has been done
on the polyps themselves. For this
purpose it is necessary that the natur-
alst should establish himself in some
tropical region where corals are abun-
dant and there on the spot make OBJ
servations day by day. l have already
spent several years in the same re-
search in the West Indies and the.
study has now reached such a point
that it was necessary to take up the
Pacific forms.
THE Hawaiian islands are the near
est point to the mainland where such
can be studied and the Aquarium is the
only institution offering facilities for
such investigation. I can not speak in
too high terms of the action of the
management of the Rapid Transit COM
pany in placing the resources of the
Aquarium at my disposal for without
these it would have been practically
impossible to have carried out the
work.
1.-The Hawaiian Islands are not so
rich in species of coral as some of the
other South Sea islands. particularly
Samoa and Tahiti. The greatest num-
ber occur on the Barrier Reef of Aus
tralia. Already however about thirty
species of shallow water forms have
been obtained and are being studied
while alive"
operation with the staff of the Bishop
Museum which is also making an ex-
tensive collection of dried corals. Next
week he hopes to make a trip to other
parts of the island in the hope of find
ing certain forms not yet found around
Waikiki.
Continuing, the doctor said: Among
other things, inquiry is being made into
the physiology of the coral animal, that
is how it eats and the general con-
ditions of its existence and some eX-
tremely interesting results have been
obtained which will be given out later.
Experiments are being made as to the
possibility of keeping corals alive in the
tanks of the Aquarium and this week
it is proposed to place on exhibition a
representative series of our living
corals.
mo aquarium has hitherto found it
possible to maintain living corals with
any degree of success. They do not sur
vive we'll in confinement for many rea-
sons. They require extremely careful
management as in coral rock there are
frequently found sponges, worms and
other boring organisms and when these
die and decay they render the condi-
tions of life for the corals impossible.
The coral animals themselves are so
small that they can only just be seen
with the naked eye, hence in an exhibit
only the general appearance of the liv-
| ing colonies is gained. To see the
actual polyp one must examine it at
close quarters with a lens or microscope.
One attractive feature of live corals
is the beautiful coloring they display
A brownish color is the predominant
tint of those around these islands. This
color is due to a small yellow colored
| algae which lives within the tissues of
the polyp. In addition to the brownish
color there are bright yellows, green's
and blues and the combination OF these
makes an attractive display.
1T is expected that the tank con-
tanning the exhibit of living corals will
be ready by the end of the week"
DR.. Duerden stated that the generous
offer of facilities for study made to him
may perhaps lead TO the visit of other
naturallsts In the interests of pure
scientific research.
| a.