But the opinions of people were not to be overturned all at once by a country doctor. Was it reasonable to suppose he should know more about this matter than all the learned men who had ever lived, or who were living then? So everybody, but Peyssonnel himself, went on believing that coral was a plant, and bore flowers; that it grew in the sea like other marine plants; and that, when broken off, and brought to the surface, it suddenly hardened into stone. Not long, however, did they continue in this belief. Nicolai, an Inspector of coral fisheries, thought it was about time that an investigation should be made deep down in the ocean to see whether the coral there was flexible, and soft. He sent down one of his best divers, and the man brought back word that the coral was just as hard in the sea, as in the air. This was such surprising news that Nicolai went down himself to make sure of the fact. There was no doubt about it. The coral in the ocean was as hard as a stone. [Illustration: CORAL.] For hundreds of years wise men had been accepting the statements of ignorant fishermen without investigation. Further research into the subject proved Peyssonnel to be right. The little star-like ornaments on the coral branches are animals. We show here a section of a coral branch as it looks under a magnifying glass, that you may understand how easy it would be for an ordinary observer to suppose the little stars to be blossoms. You can also see the different stages of development of the very singular little coral animal. B is the _ovule_, or egg, from which it comes, C the _larva_, or young creature before it undergoes its last change, and A is the full-grown animal. [Illustration: A BRANCH OF CORAL, MAGNIFIED.] Since then, the habits of these coral animals have been more carefully studied, and their ways are truly wonderful. They are so small that it requires a magnifying glass to get a good view of them. They are in the form of tiny cylinders, at one end of which there is a mouth, surrounded by branching arms, called _tentacles_. These give them their flower-like form. With these _tentacles_ they convey their food to their mouths. The food consists of the smallest particles of dead fish, or other animal matter that may have escaped the jaws of the larger fish. But, although they feed in this manner and must therefore possess the senses of touch and taste, there is no indication that they can see, or hear, or that they are sensitive when handled. They cannot move about, but remain always in the place where they were born. [Illustration: A CORAL ISLAND.]